


Lotus

by CuriousDinosaur



Category: Night at the Museum (2006 2009)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gay Male Character, Gay relathionship, Love, M/M, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-03-15 11:21:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3445223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousDinosaur/pseuds/CuriousDinosaur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Larry Daley's life is changed forever when he frees Pharaoh Ahkmenrah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> January 2015

Larry Daley pushed his hands deep into his pockets in effort to warm them. He suppressed a smile, for a few feet ahead a young man strolled, sometimes spinning around, his smile bright. Larry watched as he lifted his arms gracefully, his palms facing upward, as he tried to catch the snow drifting downwards on the cold February night.

"Ahkmenrah!" Larry called to the young man, chuckling lightly.

Ahkmenrah, the young Pharaoh, stood still and waited patiently as Larry caught up with him.

"You gotta be careful, Ahk." Larry said, avoiding the eyes of cold and grumpy New Yorker's.

Ahk smiled at Larry innocently, his green eyes wide, causing the older man's heart to flutter. He was too damn adorable and Ahk knew it. 

Larry stopped and stood next to Ahkmenrah. The young man grinned at him. Larry brought his hands up to re-wrap the loosened scarf around Ahk's neck, his cold fingers brushing against the warm bronze skin.  When Larry would touch Ahkmen, the Pharaoh seemed to go into a trance, his eyes only on Larry.

Larry relished in this shamelessly. 

His eyes lingered on the faint scar across Ahk's throat, but he quickly looked away. 

"My apologies, Larry. The winter, the snow, it's invigorating!" Ahk exclaimed, before pressing his nose to the window of a Thai food restaurant.

"Yeah, well, that's not what all of New York is feeling right now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the snow, but it's been freezing for too long." Larry muttered, aware that Ahk wasn't quite paying attention.

The young king brought his face away from the window, to the relief of some diners, and they began walking again. Larry felt Ahk slip his arm through his, and he glanced over at the handsome young man. Even in the clothes that Larry had given him to borrow, Larry could see how regal Ahkmenrah was. He shook his head. No one outside of the museum or his son Nick would ever believe the story of his life.

Especially the part about tonight, his night with the Pharaoh.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8 years before.

Larry was fed up with this job. 

This was insanity. He was supposed to be a security guard for a bunch of lifeless exhibits, but he wasn't.

Instead he was the play thing to them. He had been attacked by tiny cowboys and Romans, chased by vicious Huns, and slapped constantly by an extremely annoying monkey. 

But he had tried. He had almost had fun, after he learned to subdue the worst of the onslaught. Larry needed a job, and after all the craziness he actually enjoyed it. Larry had always liked history, and how often did history literally come alive? He had wanted to show his son, Nick, the wonderful magic, and now they were locked up inside the Egyptian exhibit. 

He should have known that something was shady from the way those old men acted. Cecil, Gus, and Reginald had played him for a fool. While he was getting his ass handed to him with the exhibits, they were trying to steal the magical tablet that brought everything to life. 

And even worse, he had brought Nick into this mess. Larry already knew he was a disappointing father, but putting your son in danger like this did not help. The old men had locked them within the Egypt exhibit, close to the Pharaoh who Larry could hear moaning and banging from the inside of his gold sarcophagus. Nick gripped his arms tightly and Larry heard his son whimper in fear.  

Larry rattled the steel bars.

"TEDDY! Teddy if you're out there, I need you pal!" Larry shouted. 

Larry heard the familiar whinny of Texas and he soon saw the horse and his rider. 

"Someone call my name?" Teddy asked, looking down at Larry.

 "Whoa." Nicky breathed.

"Theodore Roosevelt, at your service." Teddy said, saluting to Nick. 

"Teddy! Can you get us out of here?" Larry asked, his voice desperate. 

"Can't do it man. This is _your_ moment!" The President told him with a grin.

 "Will you save the lectures, please? I'm not you, okay! I didn't build the Panama Canal! I wasn't President of the United States! I need some help, c'mon!" Larry snapped. 

"Actually..." Teddy started, removing his glasses.

"I never did any of those things.Teddy Roosevelt did. I was made in a mannequin factory in Poughkeepsie." Teddy said, a pained expression on his face. 

"I never shot a wild beast. I'm not even brave enough to tell that beautiful woman I love her. But you, you gotta finish the job this time. You can't quit." 

Larry looked up at Teddy. His anger was fading, and now he felt shame. He knew that Teddy was right.

"I'm made of wax, Larry. What are you made of?" Teddy asked softly. 

Teddy started to ride away, and Larry shouted after him,

"W-whoa, wait a minute! That's all ya got for me?!"

 "That's it!" He heard Teddy yell back as the President rounded a corner. 

Suddenly, the floor beneath his feet started to shake. Larry spun around, throwing an arm in front of Nick. It was the two large Anubis statues looming high above them. They were approaching him and Nick menacingly, raising their enormous and deadly looking spears. Larry's eyes flicked past them, he saw the sarcophagus shaking madly, the Pharaoh was trapped in there, and he was angry. Larry's mind worked quickly and he realized what he needed. If anyone could help with this tablet problem, it would be the owner of said tablet.

"That's it!" Larry muttered. 

"Come on!" He shouted to Nicky, grabbing his son's arm. 

They sprinted forward between the Anubis statues. 

"DUCK!" Larry shouted as the statues lunged forward, and Larry heard their spears strike the floor with a clang.

 They ran past them and into the Pharaoh's temple. 

 "Go over there!" Larry told Nick, pointing to a corner as he leapt over to the shaking coffin. Larry glanced back to see the statues coming his way. Turning around he gripped the stone slab that covered the sarcophagus and pushed with all his might. The stone gave and soon it fell to the floor. Larry's heart was pounding as he ran around to the other side. Without a moment to lose, his hand shot down to the latch and he lifted it up.

Larry jumped back just in time, for the lid of sarcophagus went flying, hitting one of the walls with a loud  _bang_!

The Anubis guards were advancing, but Larry's eyes were locked onto the mummy inside the coffin. Larry's eyes were wide in fear as the Pharaoh lifted his head up, and turned to look directly at Larry. 

"H-hey, hi, how ya doin'?" Larry stammered, backing against the wall. 

The mummy was still, and Larry kept talking hurriedly. 

"Sorry to bother you, but your guys there," Larry said, pointing to the statues, " Your jackal guys, do you think you could actually ask them to back off please, because we're not trying to hurt you and I think they think we are, do you think you could possibly do it LIKE NOW?!"

The Pharaoh's head whipped to his left towards the guards, whose spears were pointed at Larry. Larry flinched when he heard the Pharoah shout in Egyptian, a command deep and guttural from behind the wrappings.  The Anubis statues halted and immediately kneeled, bowing to their master. 

"Thank you!" Larry gasped, beckoning for Nicky to come near him. 

 Larry felt his heart drop into his stomach, for the Pharaoh had turned his head back to look at him. Larry started backing up slowly, and then faster. The Pharaoh was groaning loudly, his yells muffled by his wrappings as he rose from the sarcophagus. Larry got in front of Nick, and watched as the mummy lifted it's arms up, it's hands going to the bandages on it's head.

" _Oh god, why?_!" Larry screamed in his head. 

But Larry could only stare as the Pharoah began to unwind the bandages from his head. Larry was bracing himself for there to be a frightening decaying face, but as the first layer came off, Larry gasped.

Brilliant emerald irises stared at him. The Pharaoh kept unwinding and Larry saw dark hair, followed by a smooth forehead, a perfect nose, and beautiful lips. The Pharaoh was a young man, but even with his body covered in bandages, Larry could now see that he was standing before royalty. 

The king coughed and dust blew from his mouth. He looked at Larry apologetically, and Larry felt a loss of breath.  

"You would not believe how stuffy it is in there." Pharaoh Ahkmenrah said with an elegant British accent. 

Maybe he would keep this job.

* * *

Another night had come for Pharaoh Ahkmenrah. 

Another night of waking up in his sarcophagus, wrapped in dusty bandages he could hardly breathe in, in complete and utter darkness.

He just wanted to die.

His life was a curse. It had only taken the first one hundred years for him to realize this, so 4,000 years later only made it that much worse. And yet, even after 50 years of being locked within his coffin with no means of escape, each night came with the desire to free himself. Especially tonight. 

Something was wrong. Over time, Ahkmenrah had become quite connected to his tablet. Tonight it was if it called to him for help, as if it was in danger. Someone was violating its powers.  

Ahkmenrah banged hard against the lid of his sarcophagus, he pushed his body against it, feeling it shake around him. He let out a stream of curses and pleas. His anger turned into desperation. 

_Please... someone free me..._

And then, to his disbelief, he heard a voice close to his coffin. He shook harder, shouting for them to free him. He heard the sound of stone sliding, and after a moment he heard the glorious noise of the lock being unlatched. 

Unable to control himself, Ahkmenrah arms shot up, and using all of his strength and anger he flung the lid of the sarcophagus up and away from him. 

It was cold, and there was light. Ahkmenrah could not see anything, but he heard a voice speaking to him as he rose up slowly. 

Ahkmenrah recognized the person's language as English. It was a man, and he sounded scared. 

 "H-hey, hi, how ya doin'?"

Ahkmenrah turned his head towards the sound. 

"Sorry to bother you, but your guys there, your jackal guys, do you think you could actually ask them to back off please, because we're not trying to hurt you and I think they think we are, do you think you could possibly do it LIKE NOW?!" the man pleaded. 

His guards. He heard their heavy steps and turned his head in their direction quickly. 

 _"HALT. YOUR KING COMMANDS YOU."_ Ahkmenrah shouted the best he could, as his mouth was still covered. 

He heard them lower their weapons. 

"Oh, thank you!" he heard the man gasp. 

 Ahkmenrah lifted his body up, feeling it ache as he did so. He groaned, reaching up to his head he began to unwind the infernal bandages. His hands moved quickly, and soon a face came into focus. It was indeed a man, older than he (in a way), with dark hair and blue eyes. Behind the man stood a small boy. The man looked perplexed and he stared at the Pharaoh with wide eyes. Ahkmenrah had removed the bandages from his mouth and began to cough, freeing his throat and lungs of dust.

" _Oh, lovely_." Ahkmenrah thought. 

"You will not believe how stuffy it is in there." he said after taking a deep breath of fresh air. 

 There was a pause.

"How can you speak English?" The little boy asked, confused. 

"I went to Cambridge University." He said as he took small steps, walking about. It felt so good to move his legs. He looked around, eyeing the walls of his "temple". 

"You went to Cambridge?" He heard the man ask incredulously. 

 "I was on display in the Egyptology department." He replied, remembering the last time he had been able to walk freely. 

He turned, his eyes met the older man's. 

"I am Ahkmenrah, Fourth King of the Fourth King, ruler of the land of my fathers." He announced, feeling proud once more as he did. 

"Uh, I am, uh, Larry. Son of... Milton. And this is my son, "Nick" and we hail from Brooklyn. Well, I do. I mean he comes out and stays with me on Wednesdays and every other weekend..." The man, Larry, said as Ahkmenrah looked at him with a raised brow. 

"... Well that was the custody agreement that we have..." Larry mumbled.

"Larry. Nick. Guardians of Brooklyn. I am forever in your debt. Now, bestow the tablet upon me so that I may assume command of my kingdom!" He proclaimed, reaching his hand out and walking towards the man and his son. 

 "Oh yes. Okay, the tablet. I would, _love_ to bestow it upon you, but we don't actually... have it." Larry explained nervously. 

 Ahkmenrah froze, his outstretched hand curling into a fist.

" _Thieves!_ " He growled in Egyptian. His Anubis guards brought their spears up, hearing their master's anger. 

He began to tear the rest of the bandages off of his body angrily. He would find whomever stole his tablet, and _end them_. 

"L-look, I'm really sorry, but we're trying to get it back too, so, um, please don't kill us." Larry pleaded, shielding his son.

" _You_ are not who I wish to kill. You shall lead me to the thieves, Larry Guardian of Brooklyn." Ahkmenrah said, his eyes narrowed. 

He went over to his sarcophagus and located his _deshret_ , picking it up carefully with his hands. The gold of his crown shone in the light of the room. He placed it upon his head, remembering a feeling from the past. He was feeling powerful once more.

He turned to look at Larry. The older man's eyes were fixed upon him, and Ahkmenrah felt a warmth reach his cheeks. He quite liked the older man's attention.

Ahkmenrah went over to the blocked off entrance, his hands brushing over the metal. With a cry he summoned his guards, and they came to him. 

" _Knock it down!_ " He commanded, a grin on his face.

The Pharaoh was feeling strangely giddy. He knew that they had a problem with the tablet being stolen, but he felt hopeful. Larry had freed him, and as they ran out of the temple, Ahkmenrah heard Larry say to his guards,

"Don't worry guys! I'll take care of him!"

Ahkmenrah vowed to do the same. 


	3. Chapter 3

 Larry sat down heavily on a bench, his muscles aching.

They had done it. They had gotten the tablet back from Cecil. 

 He sighed, feeling exhausted. Not only had they managed to get the tablet back, but they had managed to bring all the exhibits back to the museum. Octavius and Jed were alive. Teddy was back together, with the help of Sacagawea. And Nick... Larry had never seen his son so happy. 

Larry looked over to see Nick playing with Rexy, his giggles warming Larry's heart. 

The museum was a mess, and he would probably be fired first thing tomorrow, but everyone was safe and for Larry that was enough. 

Larry looked around the almost empty lobby. The museum was becoming more and more quiet, for morning was approaching. He spotted Ahkmenrah standing by the front doors, facing outside. Larry watched closely as the Pharaoh stood there, before stepping outside into the night. 

Was something wrong?

Larry got up quickly, jogging over to the door. He stopped, seeing Ahkmenrah standing out in the moonlight. Larry felt breathless for the king seemed to glow in its light. Larry was mesmirized. Carefully and quietly he walked over to Ahkmenrah, coming to stand by his side.

It was as if Ahkmenrah did not feel the chill of winter. The Pharaoh held his hands out, palms up to catch the snow that drifted gently down. Larry saw his breath in the cold air. Larry was astounded by this magic. Ahkmenrah was alive and breathing and... beautiful. 

"Are you alright?" Larry asked quietly.

 "...What a wonderful place." Ahkmenrah breathed, his eyes staring straight ahead. 

Larry looked in the same direction. For a moment, all he saw was the same old New York in winter. He looked back at Ahkmenrah, whose emerald eyes were wide as he looked upon the city. Larry looked again, this time trying to imagine what it would be like to have never seen the city before. 

Larry saw it. He saw the enormous skyscrapers, standing tall and proud. He saw Central Park, quiet and covered in white, as though they had not disturbed it that evening. The city was teeming with all sorts of different people, so many people who had their own lives and maybe Larry would never know them all, but they shared the same home that was New York. 

 "I knew I was coming to New York, all those years ago. I was thrilled, having heard of its size and wonder. What a pity, having such a magnificent city being built around me but never getting to see it until now. I was so naive back then. I thought... I thought I would make this city my new kingdom, and rule over its people. But I of course cannot. I do not even want to now."

He turned to face the older man, and Larry was sad to see a tear had come to roll slowly down Ahkmenrah's face.  

"My only wish... I just want to be free. I want to live as a man among others, to have a life." The Pharaoh whispered.

Larry's heart ached. He didn't know what to say. There was nothing he could say. He was not special or magical, he could not bring Ahkmenrah back to life to live during the day and night. 

But maybe he could change the way things had been, maybe make Ahkmenrah's existence somewhat better. He had become less self-centered, less selfish, since starting this job. Larry wanted to be a better man. He wanted to try harder in life. He wanted to be a better father. He didn't want to feel so alone. 

 Alone.

Larry looked into Ahkmenrah's eyes. Carefully, Larry brought a hand up. His fingers brushed away the tear on Ahkmenrah's face, feeling the warmth of his skin. Ahkmenrah closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Larry wondered when was the last time someone had touched him.  

Ahkmenrah's eyes opened to stare at Larry. Larry brought his hand down, realizing he had let it linger for too long. 

"Will you lock me away again?" Ahkmenrah asked Larry sadly. 

"I... You'll have to go back into your coffin, 'cause of... the morning." Larry said nervously.

"What I mean is, will you trap me in there. Will you leave me in there for a thousand years?" The Pharaoh asked, his body shaking. 

 "N-no! I'm not going to leave you!" Larry exclaimed.

Ahkmenrah stared at him and Larry blushed, realizing how that had sounded. 

"I... I mean. I promise you'll be free. You'll be free to leave your sarcophagus each night, and you can walk around, a-and I'll show you all kinds of things you've probably never seen before. Do you like food? Can you eat- shit, sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. Um." Larry found himself babbling, feeling like an idiot in front of an ancient Egyptian king. 

Larry sighed, glancing down. He didn't know why he was so nervous. But he was surprised to hear a chuckle come from Ahkmenrah. He looked up, his heart thumping in his chest. Ahkmenrah was smiling, and it was perfect. 

"Thank you, Larry. I look forward to spending time with you."

* * *

 Larry's body felt light as he walked Ahkmenrah back to his temple. The Anubis statues were back in their place, but they bowed when they saw their king walk past. 

Ahkmenrah stood before his sarcophagus, and Larry stood beside him. 

They did not have much time. 

He heard the king take a breath and then the Pharaoh climbed back in, laying down quickly. Ahkmenrah shut his eyes tightly, and bit his lip. After a moment, he opened his eyes to look at Larry. It was as if he was suprised to see the older man still there. 

Larry came closer to the sarcophagus, resting his hands on the stone case. 

"Are you okay?" He asked the king.

Ahkmenrah sighed and nodded slightly. 

"Every morning would be so much easier if I had someone with me." Ahkmenrah murmured.

Larry understood all too well. He glanced at his watch, the sun would almost be up in the sky. Larry did not want to say goodbye. But after a minute he grabbed the lid of the coffin and started to close it, his eyes locked on Ahkmenrah. The Pharaoh looked up at him, and Larry saw his sadness and fear. Larry smiled at him reassuringly. 

"I'll be here." He whispered.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 After a long day of guests bustling about, the museum was ready to close for the evening. Behind the winter clouds, the sun sunk low into the sky. 

The museum was quiet and still only for a moment. 

Pharaoh Ahkmenrah's eyes opened in the darkness of his sarcophagus and he breathed deeply, feeling the always odd sensation of his lungs regrowing within his chest. He laid there, still and quiet as his mind began to flow with the memories of last night. He had been free, out of his accursed coffin. The tablet had been stolen, and he and Larry-

Larry. 

Ahkmenrah closed his eyes and bit his lip. He brought a hand to his heart, surprised to feel it beating hard. He had been so honest and emotional with a man he had just met. But he had tasted freedom and wanted more. He had seen New York with his own eyes. And Larry... Larry had been so courageous and kind. 

Ahkmenrah smiled, remembering the older man's words. 

_"I'll be here."_

He took a deep breath, already feeling terribly cramped in his sarcophagus. Was it true? Would Larry be here soon? Would he have another night of freedom? 

He laid still and silent, waiting to hear footsteps or a voice. How many minutes had passed since he had woken? Ahkmenrah's heart was racing, and panic soon swept through him. The darkness felt so heavy around him. He shut his eyes and rubbed them hard, as there was always light there. Spots of color bloomed, and they morphed into different faces. His father, his mother, and then Larry's. Larry smiled at him, his blue eyes calm.

This only made things worse.   

He should have known Larry was lying. He was such a fool. He was locked in here, forever.

 His hands fell from his face and he gasped. He heard the latch of his sarcophagus being undone. With a thrill in his heart, Ahkmenrah suddenly saw the light of his temple. He blinked and breathed deeply. 

Larry was there. He stood over Ahkmenrah's coffin and smiled wide. 

"Hi! I'm sorry I'm late." The older man greeted him easily, reaching a hand out to him. 

Ahkmenrah felt frozen. He stared at Larry in disbelief. 

"Are you okay?" Larry asked with a worried expression. 

"You're here..." He mumbled quietly.

"Of course! Well... I shouldn't say that. Dr. McPhee was not happy about the state of the museum this morning... Anyway, all that matters is that I still have my job, which I do. And, the exhibits are already celebrating the tablets return. Did, um... Did you want to join us?" Larry asked nervously, still holding his hand out to the Pharaoh. 

He felt himself nod and took Larry's hand, which was warm. His feet met the ground and he stretched, eyeing the night guard. 

"Thank you, Larry Daley." Ahkmenrah said to the man, smiling softly. 

"No problem, and you can just call me Larry." Larry said, running a hand through his hair.

* * *

They walked silently together out of Ahkmenrah's temple. In the main lobby Ahkmenrah saw that all of the exhibits were moving about. Larry walked ahead of him, but it was if Ahkmenrah's legs had stopped working.

After all that had happened the previous night he didn't know what to expect this evening. He thought he should feel angry, because none of these exhibits had tried to free him from his prison. He sighed, knowing it was in the past and that they couldn't have known what he would be like. And, it didn't help that they had been treated badly by the previous night guards. Everything had changed since Larry became the new night guard.

Larry turned to face him and he ended his musing. Larry had kept his promise and now he could move about once more.  He would enjoy this night.

"Are you alright?" Larry asked. 

"Yes, yes I'm fine." He told the man, smiling gently.

He didn't want to tell the man he was shy. 

"Ahkmenrah!" A voice called.

He looked to see Nick Daley running towards him with a grin on his face. Ahkmenrah felt a wide smile forming as the boy stopped in front of him, eyes shining. He had only spent a few hours with the boy the previous evening, (riding atop a dinosaur skeleton, no less), but the Pharaoh had become fond of Larry's son.  

"Hi dad! Hi Ahk!" The boy greeted them.

Ahkmenrah gasped as Nick came close to wrap his small arms around his waist and embrace him. He was not used to such affection. The boy let him go quickly and gently tugged on his cape. 

 "C'mon Ahk! We're about to play soccer! You can be on my team!" The boy said excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Why do you call me "Ahk" And what is this "soccer"?" Ahkmenrah asked, confused but still smiling. 

He looked over at Larry, who was smiling at them. 

"It's a nickname! Your name is so long I thought it'd be easier to just call you Ahk... If you don't mind." Nick told him sheepishly. 

" I kinda like it!" Larry said. 

For some reason that made Ahkmenrah's face warm. He looked down at Nicky and nodded.

" You may call me Ahk." 

"Awesome! C'mon! I'll show you how to play soccer!" Nick exclaimed, grabbing the Pharaoh's hand.

Ahk only had a second to look and see Larry grinning at him before he was dragged off in another direction.

" Go easy on him, Nick!" He heard Larry call.

* * *

Towards the end of the evening, Ahkmenrah took a few minutes to step outside to cool down and catch his breath. He sat down on the steps of the museum and looked out into the busy New York street. A chilling wind blew and despite being hot, he wrapped his cape around himself. He touched the corner of his mouth with a warm hand. His face was sore in the best possible way. He couldn't stop smiling. 

It had been such an enjoyable evening. He had played soccer with Nick and some of the exhibits. He thought he would be terrible, but the game was simple enough, and he even scored a few "goals" while playing. There had been music, music he had never experienced before. It was loud, but the beats and rhythm of the songs he had heard had caused his body to sway and shake like he had not done in many, many years. He felt like he had as a young child in Egypt, carefree and happy. He didn't have to be the Fourth King of the Fourth King... He was Ahk. 

He had taken quick glances at Larry the entire evening. The man looked like he too was having a good time, despite having to watch everyone. He would see the older man strolling about, speaking with President Roosevelt, or quickly putting out a fire that the neanderthals had made. Sometimes Larry would catch his eye and smile and he would look away quickly, his cheeks warming.

Indeed, it had been a wonderful night. Ahkmenrah leaned back and let his mind wander as he let the sounds and the light of New York blend together. He closed his eyes and the lights remained. 

He was filled with music.

His body rose and he was standing in front of the museum. His arms opened like the wings of an eagle, poised for flight. The music grew louder and he spun, his head thrown back. Ahkmenrah brought his hands towards his chest and out, as if he was pulling his pain out of his body. He ran and leapt and spun, faster and faster. The lights and colors flew in vision as he moved. He felt healthy and strong, his legs kicked out and his feet barely hit the ground. The beating of his heart was another drum he danced to. He felt the ache of his muscles and the sweat on his body, but he wanted it. He wanted to feel alive. 

He reached towards the sky, hand outstretched as if he could catch the stars. His body stilled. He stood there, gasping, heart pounding with his head tilted up towards the heavens. 

 Shouldn't he be up there? 

His arm fell down and he dizzily sunk down to sit on the steps again. He took deep breaths, feeling his body shake.

Ahkmenrah wrapped his arms around himself. He now felt very old and fragile, like he most certainly was during the day. He brought his fingers up to his neck, feeling the pulse jumping against his fingertips. 

 _"This has to be enough."_   Ahkmenrah thought.

_"This has to be enough to be happy."_

Ahkmenrah remained sitting until the dark sky turned a soft blue. He stood and picked up his cape and crown, placing them upon his body once more. He walked towards the large doors, glancing back as if he could catch the sun hiding from him.

* * *

 No one noticed as Ahkmenrah slipped in, shutting the door softly.  Inside the museum was quiet. The music had stopped playing and the exhibits were returning to rest in their places. He made his way towards his temple, but suddenly stopped near one of the museum benches. There, sleeping with a smile on his face, was Nick. He had laid down on the bench, and had Larry's jacket tucked underneath his head. Ahkmenrah's eyes softened as he looked upon the sleeping boy. 

Carefully he reached a hand down to the boy's head, stroking his soft hair gently. Nick sighed in his sleep, and Ahkmenrah felt himself smile. 

He left Nick and continued on his way. Every step closer towards his temple filled him with anxiety. He stopped right outside of the temple, his heart beating fast. His guards turned to look at him, but did not move from their posts. 

Ahkmenrah's body felt heavy. There was _nothing_ pleasant about climbing into your own coffin and waiting to die every night. 

 The Pharaoh jumped suddenly. Something had touched his back and he whirled around to see Larry standing there, looking apologetic. 

Ahkmenrah seemed unable to speak, as did Larry. He was confused to see sadness in Larry's blue eyes. Finally, the older man spoke.

"Wait for me." Larry murmured, gesturing a hand in the direction of his temple. 

He could only nod as Larry walked away quickly, keys jingling quietly. 

* * *

Ahkmenrah had laid in his sarcophagus, his eyes towards the ceiling. He took deep breaths to calm himself.

He heard quiet footsteps approaching. Turning his head, he saw Larry walking toward him, and the man was carrying a small chair. Larry set the chair close to his coffin and sat down quickly. Even in the dim light Ahkmenrah could see that the older man seemed nervous. Larry's cheeks seemed red and he rubbed the back of his neck. 

What was Larry doing? He too felt nervous and confused. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Larry raised his arm up.

Ahkmenrah's heart leapt when he saw the night guard reach a shaking hand in to take his own, their fingers threading together. He realized now what was happening.

Larry had remembered.

Ahk felt a lump in his throat, and he took a shaky breath, pleading with himself not to cry. They did not speak. Larry seemed to be in a trance as he sat there holding the Pharaoh's hand, his chin resting in his other. He looked down at Ahkmenrah and smiled softly.

They had held hands as the final minutes of the evening slipped by. Ahk's eyes had grown heavy, and he felt his lips curling into a smile. A small flame of happiness had entered his heart, because Larry was with him. Through magic, Ahkmenrah was able to feel the older man's emotions.

Larry was filled with loneliness. Ahkmenrah understood. Whether you were a person able to walk through life each day, or were trapped inside your own coffin, you could feel very very alone. His thumb stroked Larry's hand and he felt the other man squeeze gently.

_"This... This is enough."_

He didn't know when he had closed his eyes, or when Larry had gently laid his hand on his chest. But when he heard the man whisper "Goodnight..." he didn't stir and he let himself drift off into what had felt the closest to a peaceful sleep in thousands of years.


	5. Chapter 5

Larry climbed the stairs to his apartment slowly, already thinking of his bed. It had taken a bit longer than usual to get Nick back to his mother's, especially with Nick being so tired from a fun evening. He reached his door and after a brief jingle of keys, unlocked it and entered. With a sigh he toed off his shoes and kicked them aside. He removed his security jacket and hung it up in the hallway closet where it would be ready for another night at the museum. 

Larry went to his small kitchen and stood there for a moment. After contemplating, he realized he wasn't really hungry or thirsty. Instead, he made his way to his bedroom where he undressed, tossing his dirty clothes in the already overflowing hamper, and stepped into his bathroom. He felt the cold tile on his bare feet and shivered. The bathroom light felt too bright against his tired eyes, so he left the bathroom door open so the softer light of his bedroom could enter. 

With a twist of the knob, hot water sprang from the faucet. Before he stepped into the shower, Larry glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He looked away quickly. He never liked mirrors. It always felt like he had caught the eyes of a stranger. A too pale and too skinny stranger. 

Larry shuddered, the hot water felt amazing against his cold skin. He rested his forehead against the shower wall, enjoying the feeling of the water rushing over him. Memories of the past two nights drifted into his mind.

It was amazing that McPhee hadn't let him go. He could only thank all of the people who had come to the museum yesterday as a result of the exhibits causing a commotion within the city. After all the trouble the old men had caused, he realized he really wanted to keep this job. Yes, it was dangerous and hectic. But he knew that he had established normalcy with most of the museum, and it was pretty amazing to see everything come alive. And it made Nicky happy. 

Larry couldn't help but think of Ahkmenrah. He would have felt terrible if he had not been able to keep his promise to the Pharaoh. He _did_ feel terrible after he had said goodbye, seeing the panic in Ahk's eyes hurt his heart. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to go through that each night, to wake up from being dead and to be locked up for 50 years. 

Larry shook his head, grabbing the shampoo bottle. He lathered his hair with soap, massaging slowly, as he thought about the Pharaoh. Ahkmenrah's face was stuck in his mind. He had been glad to see that Ahk had fun this evening. Nick had been so sweet inviting Ahkmenrah to play soccer with him. It had been amusing to watch his son drag off an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh to play a game. As he had patrolled the museum, he would find himself glancing to where Ahk was, running about and kicking the soccer ball. He would see Ahk's face, all smiles and bright eyes, and he would feel a warmth in his chest. Sometimes Ahk would catch his eye and he would smile at Larry. 

Larry ran his fingers through his hair, washing out the shampoo. He grabbed the bottle of body wash and cleaned himself quickly. Showers made him sleepy and he longed for his warm bed. After rinsing his body he turned the shower off. He let some of the water drip off before pushing the curtain aside and grabbing his large blue towel. 

In a few minutes he was laying in bed in a pair of black boxers. He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the muffled sounds of the city outside the walls of his apartment building. He closed his eyes, hoping he would fall asleep quickly but he kept thinking about what he had seen only a few hours before.

Towards the end of the evening, most of the party had died down. He had saved Jed and Octavius from being crushed accidentally by some Huns, and had put out _another_ fire that the Neanderthals had made. He found Nick slumped over on a bench fast asleep, his arm tucked under his head. Larry, warm from running about the museum, had removed his jacket and carefully put it under Nick's head. He had looked around, realizing he had not seen Ahkmenrah in a while.

He had walked towards the Pharaoh's temple, peering inside. Ahk's jackal guards stared at him, but did not move from their posts. Ahk was not in his temple. He had tried to remain calm as he walked back towards the front lobby, past Nick still asleep. 

Some part of him knew to check outside. He remembered the previous night, how Ahkmenrah had looked upon New York with wonder. He had gone to the front entrance, and pushed the door open. He shut it quietly before taking a few steps out into the cold, shivering without his jacket. 

Suddenly, Larry's eyes widened and he backed up into the shadows of one of the stone pillars. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ahkmenrah was, if he was not mistaken, _dancing_.  The Pharaoh had shed his crown and cape, and Larry saw Ahkmenrah's bronze skin. He seemed to not feel the snow that fell upon him. The Pharaoh was dancing beautifully. His body was lean, muscles rippled as he moved. It was powerful and graceful. Larry felt like he was intruding upon something private, something miraculous. It _was_ miraculous. Watching Ahkmenrah dance... it was at this moment he was able to truly comprehend the power behind the tablet. The man dancing before him was an ancient king, brought to life each night.  

Larry recalled many years ago as a young boy, he had gone with his mother and father to the Bronx Zoo in the winter. Snow was falling heavily that day. He had wanted to see the tigers, for they were his favorite. He had stood, completely still for what felt like ages, waiting to see a tiger. Other people around him were loud and noisy as they waited in the cold, until they gave up and left and Larry was alone. He stared, unblinking at the snow covered enclosure until, with a thrill in his heart, a large tiger appeared from behind some rocks. Larry had held his breath as the tiger stepped through the snow silently, his coat like a fire against the white. The tiger turned its head Larry could swear that it had stared at him, amber eyes glowing brightly. Larry had wondered how something so magnificent could be trapped within walls. 

 He watched with his heart beating fast as Ahkmenrah suddenly ran and leapt high into the air. The Pharaoh landed on his feet, his arm outstretched towards the dark sky. He heard Ahk breathing hard. Larry could not see his face, but as he watched the Pharaoh lower his arm and sit down heavily on the stone steps, Larry could feel his sadness. Larry shivered, leaning back against the cold stone. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Ahkmenrah, but he felt intrusive. Hoping Ahk would not hear or see him, he took one more look before slipping back inside the museum. He figured Ahkmenrah would come back inside soon enough. 

* * *

 

Larry, lying in his bed, sighed and rubbed his eyes. All he could see was Ahkmenrah's face, his emerald eyes and bright smile. And now, he pictured the Pharaoh's body, imagined the warmth of his skin.

Larry blushed, covering his eyes with one arm. He realized his body was reacting to his thoughts. He turned on his side and grabbed one his pillows, hugging it tightly to his chest. He ignored his arousal, refusing to touch himself. He felt embarrassed and... scared. He was attracted to Ahk. He was attracted to an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. 

He didn't know why he had done it. Ahkmenrah was anxious about being locked in his sarcophagus. Larry had planned on staying with him until he absolutely had to close the lid. But after all he had witnessed tonight, he had really wanted to stay with Ahk, to make sure the Pharaoh knew he was safe and not alone. As he was finishing locking up, he was relieved to see Ahkmenrah standing outside of his temple, but when he stepped closer to Ahk, he saw the fear on his face. Larry had stood close to Ahk, and after a moment he nervously reached a hand out to touch Ahk's back. 

The Pharaoh had jumped at the touch, and Larry felt like an idiot. Why didn't he just say his name? But Ahk thankfully didn't get upset or call his jackals to attack Larry. They stared at one another before Larry managed to say, "Wait for me." 

He had walked quickly to one of the offices, his heart pounding, and grabbed a chair and made his way back to Ahkmenrah's temple. He was surprised to find Ahk already lying in his coffin, still as a board, but with wide and frightened eyes. When he heard Larry approaching, he turned his head, his emerald eyes upon Larry. Larry, feeling his face heat up, set the chair down right beside the stone case of Ahk's sarcophagus. He sat down quickly.

His heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't know what compelled him to do it, but after neither of them had spoken, Larry brought his arm up and over the stone, and carefully took Ahk's hand in his. Ahk's hand was soft and warm against Larry's cold one. He threaded his fingers in Ahk's without thinking. He looked at Ahkmenrah's face. Ahk didn't seem angry. Instead the Pharaoh stared at the ceiling and Larry saw him take a deep breath. Ahk's face had relaxed, and Larry felt better. 

Larry felt like he was drunk on Ahk's touch. They held hands as the last few minutes of the night slipped by. In the back of Larry's mind, he felt like he was doing something wrong, or illegal. He was amazed he hadn't been struck dead by some Egyptian deity the moment he had touched Ahk. 

But as he watched Ahk's eyes drift close, as those perfect lips turned up into a relaxed smile, Larry thought that at this moment everything felt... right. He felt Ahkmenrah's thumb stroke the top of his hand softly, and Larry closed his eyes and squeezed Ahk's hand gently. This felt wonderful, natural. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way with someone. 

Larry wrapped his black comforter around himself. He imagined Ahkmenrah lying beside him, the warmth of his body like a summer day. Larry's eyes drifted closed, and he let his thoughts of Ahk become his dreams. 


	6. Chapter 6

After being locked in his sarcophagus for so long, Pharaoh Ahkmenrah relished in his new found freedom. 

Ahkmenrah filled each night with learning and discovery. He explored the museum by himself, observing the different areas and studying the exhibits. He almost felt bad, going into the private offices of the museum, but he always took care not to break anything. 

Ahk loved to read, and when he found an office with lots of books, he felt positively giddy. He wanted to read them all at once, but he made his way through them one at a time. He would spend much of the evenings sitting in a comfortable armchair, nose buried within the current book he was reading. He read books on history, philosophy, art, and poetry. Not every book was interesting, but Ahkmenrah would always learn something. Most of his time spent at Cambridge was teaching himself to read and speak English, so he hadn't had the chance to read or learn anything else. 

Soon enough, he had read all of the books in the museum. As he shut the last book sadly, he wondered what he would do now. He sat in the armchair, growing more and more restless. 

"Ahk?"

The Pharaoh turned his head to see Larry standing in the doorway. 

"Hello Larry." Ahkmenrah greeted him pleasently. 

"Is something wrong?" The night guard asked him, walking towards Ahk.

Ahkmenrah stood up gracefully. He picked up the book he had finished from the table beside the chair and held it out for Larry to see. 

"I've read them all, Larry. This was the last book to read in the museum." Ahk said, feeling somewhat proud.

To his delight, Larry grinned and raised his eyebrows. 

"Wow, man! That was a lot. And it's only been two months since you've been able to come out at night." Larry said, sounding impressed.

"Yes. I'm not sure what to do now." Ahkmenrah told Larry, chuckling. He walked over to the bookshelf and placed the book back in its spot.

Larry looked thoughtful. To Ahk's surprise the night guard suddenly came toward him and took his hand. Ahk's eyes widened and he looked into Larry's eyes. 

"I have an idea." Larry said with a smile on his face. 

Ahkmenrah couldn't find his voice, so he nodded. They left the office, the door locking behind them.

* * *

 "What... is this?"

Ahkmenrah sat in a chair in front of an odd looking machine in the front lobby. Larry was next to him, leaning against the desk. 

"This is called a computer." Larry said, pointing to the machine, the _computer_. 

 "Oh. I have read about these. It is quite small." Ahkmenrah said, looking closely at it.

His hand bumped into something on the desk and the computer made a strange noise, startling Ahk. A light appeared and the black square that had been dark suddenly contained a strange picture. 

"Oh! Did I break it?" Ahk asked Larry worriedly. 

"No, no, you just bumped the mouse." Larry laughed, shaking his head. 

Ahkmenrah crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the computer. He didn't like looking like a fool, especially in front of Larry. 

"You're cute when you pout." 

 He turned his head to stare at Larry, who suddenly looked bashful.

"Er... Uh, I mean, can I show you how to use it?" Larry asked politely. 

Ahkmenrah pursed his lips, but nodded. He felt a flutter in his heart when Larry grinned, and then sat in the chair next to him. Larry took his hand and placed it onto the mouse, his hand over Ahk's. Ahkmenrah felt his face heat up as he tried to listen to Larry speak.

"You use the mouse to move around on the computer..."

* * *

 In the weeks that followed, Ahkmenrah spent an hour or so each night on the computer. Larry had been kind enough to give him basic instructions on how to use it. Ahkmenrah was astounded. Any questions he had about anything and everything could be answered so quickly. He continued his quest for knowledge. He was quickly catching up on history and science of the modern world. 

Ahk was happy to find that he could learn more about modern music. He listened to all kinds of music, thrilled that he could listen to a song as many times as he wanted. He laughed to himself, remembering how he would once ask a servant to play him a song on simple instruments. 

Despite being able to maneuver with ease on the computer, he would often ask Larry questions. Did Larry read this? Did he listen to this band? Had he heard this song?

Each time Ahkmen thought he was going to bother Larry, Larry would answer him with a smile, sometimes he would go beyond giving Ahk a simple answer and they would converse for several minutes. 

If Ahk was not mistaken, Larry enjoyed showing and teaching him things about the modern world.

Ahkmen was delighted when Larry brought him food to try. He had learned to not feel hunger after so many years locked away, but now that he was free, Ahk could not ignore when his stomach rumbled loudly. He felt embarrassed one evening, because it had happened when he had been speaking to Larry. The older man had smiled as he blushed, muttering apologies. But the night guard had only taken his hand and lead him to the front desk where Larry pulled out an odd plastic box. Larry opened it, and Ahkmenrah saw that it contained food wrapped in odd clear paper and other small clear boxes. Larry had laid everything out and offered food to Ahkmenrah. He had stammered, trying to tell Larry that it was not necessary, before the man rolled his eyes and opened one particular box that contained a dark square. It looked and smelled delicious and he could not hide his curiosity.

"What is it?" He had asked Larry, as the man had popped a grape into his mouth.

Larry only smirked and handed Ahkmen a white plastic fork. He held it in his hand, feeling unsure.

"Taste it!" Larry urged, grinning at him.

"I must tell you that I once had servants taste my food for poison before each meal..." Ahkmenrah muttered as he pulled the plastic container closer.

Larry chuckled as he leaned back in the chair he sat in, waiting for Ahkmen to try the mysterious food. Ahk sighed, taking up the fork and was surprised when it sunk quickly into the food. He lifted the fork to his mouth and took a careful delicate bite.

Ahkmenrah's eyes widened as the flavors danced upon his tongue. It was sweet, incredibly sweet. Soft and dark and rich, flavors he had never experienced before. Larry grinned at him as Ahkmenrah covered his mouth with his hand, he was in disbelief that something could be so delicious. 

"You like it?" Larry laughed, his eyes gleaming. 

"It is positively _sinful_. What is it?" Ahkmenrah whispered, taking another quick bite.

" _That_ is chocolate cake." Larry told him.

After that day, Ahkmenrah trusted and accepted any food that Larry offered to him.

* * *

 Months passed. 

 Each night Ahkmenrah found himself craving the company of Larry more and more.

He tried to keep some distance, trying to find things for himself to do as Larry did his job. He would smile brightly when the night guard would walk by, his face blushing embarrassingly. Larry seemed to not notice and would wave and smile at Ahk. Sometimes, with a thrill in his heart, Larry would walk up to him and talk to him for a few minutes. Somehow he was able to carry a conversation, despite his mind drifting to thoughts of them sitting together or having tea, or more provocative thoughts that would make him blush and shake his head inwardly.

Soon Ahkmenrah found himself unable to stay far from Larry, but the man didn't seem to mind. Some nights they found themselves sitting together at a small table, drinking tea and coffee. They spoke of many things. Larry told him about his interesting life, about books he enjoyed, and he had shared his concerns and dreams for Nick.

He told Larry of his life in Egypt, remembering the majesty of his home. He spoke of his mother and father, how happy they were as a family. He described his mother's beauty and found himself remembering her embrace, the scent of her perfume, the last time he saw her face her eyes had filled with tears the color of the Nile. He hadn't realized that he had stopped speaking until a warm hand touched his face.

Larry had wiped away the tears that had fallen. His hand lingered against Ahkmenrah's cheek, before he brought it down to grasp Ahk's hand. Ahk's head sunk into his arms, hiding his face. Larry continued to hold his hand tightly, while his other hand stroked Ahkmenrah's head softly. He sobbed quietly, his heart aching in his chest. He moaned his mothers name, pleaded quietly to all the Gods of mercy, and thanked the rest of them for Larry and his kindness.

"It's okay...shh... I got you.." he had heard Larry whisper to him.

That night, before Ahkmenrah went to climb into his sarcophagus, he found Larry by his side. The man opened his mouth as if to speak, but after a moment the man said nothing. Instead, he came close to Ahk, closer than the man had ever been and Ahkmen could feel his heart beat faster as Larry wrapped his arms slowly around his torso, embracing him. In mere seconds, Ahk brought his arms up to snake around Larry's neck, holding the man close. He wished he hadn't been shaking, but he had not been held by anyone in so long and Larry was so strong and warm, and...

Larry let him go, smiling shyly. 

When the lid to his coffin was closed, Ahkmen could still feel the warmth of the man's body against his. 

* * *

Larry couldn't believe how good life had become. 

His life now had more direction and purpose than it ever had before. He continued working at the museum, spending each night watching over the exhibits who had become his friends. If he was truly honest with himself, it was more play than work, and Larry loved it. Larry now had a routine down with the museum. He played fetch with Rexy, gave gum to the demanding Moai statue, sparred with Attila, and conversed with Jedediah and Octavius (who were quickly becoming the best of friends.). He did not work every night at the museum, and for those nights he convinced McPhee to hire a sleepy old man named Paul to cover his shifts. Paul would often come into work and sit at the front desk and promptly fall asleep. Larry would instruct the exhibits to move about as quietly as possible and to not cause trouble as to not wake Paul. So far, it had worked and Larry had some nights off. 

Meanwhile, Larry took his passion for inventing and his experience from the museum and pursued his dream for Daley Devices. He couldn't believe the call he received, the woman from the patent company saying that they wanted to produce his ideas like the glow-in-the-dark flashlight. In a few months Larry had good money coming in and he was able to relax about bills. In no time he moved to a nicer apartment, with plenty of space for him and Nick to live comfortably when his son visited. 

Larry's relationship with Nick was better than it had ever been. Nick enjoyed spending time with his dad and frequently accompanied Larry to the museum. Nick's mother stopped commenting about Larry's life when he visited and he was glad. She was still a negative person, but at least he didn't have to hear her say anything smug about his job or his parenting. 

Larry's life, which had been an constant unbalanced, disorganized, disappointing cycle of uncertainty, was finally molding into a life that Larry had always wanted for himself. 

* * *

However, one aspect of Larry's life remained the same. 

Relationships were never Larry's forte. He tried to go on dates some evenings. It was always with someone he had met on an internet dating site. Larry would feel excited when they asked or he asked if they would like to meet for dinner or coffee. There was usually something he found interesting and attractive about his dates, and he wondered if there could be the possibility of a relationship with any of them.

But Larry would go on these dates and sit across from these strangers and inwardly shake his head. He did not understand them, and as Larry tried to describe his life (that was mostly centered around a magical museum) without mentioning the museum, he realized that they could never understand him. 

He would look into their eyes and wish that they were a familiar emerald green. He wanted to see the warm bronze skin and careful, perfect smile. 

* * *

Larry was totally and utterly smitten with Ahkmenrah. 

Larry wanted to spend each and every evening talking, looking, and oh god, even _touching_ Ahk. Larry felt hopeless. Every time Ahkmenrah looked at him, spoke to him, every time their hands touched at the end of the evening, Larry felt awestruck and breathless. 

Larry stopped going on dates. He stopped taking evenings off. It didn't seem worth it, when all he wanted to do is be at the museum, to spend time with Ahk. 

Ahkmenrah was intelligent, inquisitive, imaginitave, kind, funny, handsome, perfect in Larry Daley's eyes.

Ahk was like no one else Larry had ever spent time with. He had so many wise and interesting things to say, so many thoughtful questions to ask. Larry spent hours some evenings sitting with Ahk in the lounge drinking coffee and tea with the Pharaoh as they conversed about the past and the present. Sometimes, to Larry's surprise, Ahk would ask him many questions about Larry's life. 

"Oh, y-you don't want me to bore you-" Larry would stammer, stirring his coffee quickly.

"Please. You lead such an interesting life... I wish to hear more about it." Ahkmenrah would insist gently, smiling at Larry.

Larry could feel his heart beating fast and he could only nod.

In return, Larry would ask careful questions about the Pharaoh's past life in Egypt. Ahk seemed happy to answer, and Larry could only sit in awe as he learned about Ancient Egypt from a real Egyptian Pharaoh. 

Once, the subject of Ahk's family was brought up somehow. Ahkmen began to enthustiastically speak of them, but as he began to describe his mother, the king's speech began to falter. Ahkmenrah seemed far away and Larry was about to open his mouth to ask if Ahkmenrah was alright, when Larry's heart nearly broke as tears fell from Ahk's eyes. With a trembling hand, Larry had reached out, his fingterips touching the warm, smooth skin of Ahk's cheek as he gently stroked away the tears that had fallen. 

The emerald irises glistened with tears as they stared at Larry, and the night guard let his hand linger against Ahk's cheek for a moment before bringing it down to grasp Ahk's hand that lay trembling on the table. Ahkmenrah hid his face in his arms as he began to quietly sob. Larry felt such sadness for Ahk, and he felt useless for not being able to do anything.

Ahk did not let go of Larry's hand as he cried, but only grasped it tighter as Larry heard Ahk begin to moan softly in Egyptian. Larry scooted his chair closer to Ahk and forgetting his shyness, brought his other hand up to gently stroke Ahkmenrah's head. His fingers ran through the soft, short locks of hair as he whispered comforting things to Ahkmen. 

That night, when it was time to say goodbye, Larry summoned all of his courage. He wanted to say something, anything, to tell Ahkmenrah that he cared, and that he would always be there. Larry even opened his mouth to say so, but when Ahk looked at him Larry lost his voice. His body seemed to move on its own as he moved closer to Ahk, could feel the sun-like warmth coming from his body as he slowly wrapped his arms around the slim torso, and he could feel the flutter of Ahk's heart as he held the Pharaoh in his arms. Ahkmenrah's body against his was the best thing that Larry had ever felt, and even though Larry was hugging Ahk to comfort him, Larry felt safe. He let out a shakey breath as he felt Ahk's arms rise to wrap around his shoulders, their bodies pulling each other closer.

Just as quickly as it had happened, it ended. Larry let go of Ahkmenrah, smiling shyly at the Pharaoh.

* * *

 Larry felt foolish, juvenile as he found himself working hard to make Ahkmen happy. He had not acted this way since high school, and he would tell himself to stop, but he never could. Whenever he would answer any questions Ahk had, whenever he brought Ahk a new food to try, whenever Ahk looked at him at the end of the night, almost as if he was eager for Larry to hold his hand, Larry's thoughts died away and he did whatever he had could to see Ahkmenrah smile. 

Larry had never felt so relaxed, so like himself around anyone. 

He and Ahkmenrah spent more and more time together as time passed. Many evenings consisted of them sitting close together on the couch in the lounge, watching a movie or listening to music and talking quietly.

One evening Larry had tried once more to make himself keep some distance from Ahk, to test if the Pharaoh truly wanted to hang around him. Larry had sat down on the couch after breaking up a fight between Octavius and Jedediah and sighed quietly, shutting his eyes. In a few minutes he suddenly heard the door open quietly, and there were soft footsteps. Larry opened his eyes to see Ahkmenrah standing there, looking somewhat shy. The Pharaoh had removed his crown and wesekh collar. Larry's eyes traveled from Ahk's face to his graceful neck and then lower, his eyes on Ahk's bare, toned chest. Larry felt a loss of breath as he stared at Ahk, before he swallowed and quickly smiled, patting the cushion beside him for Ahk to sit. The king sat beside him happily as they watched a movie on the TV. Well, Ahk seemed to watch as Larry kept looking at him out of the corner of his eye. 

That morning, after he had said goodbye and his shift was over, Larry felt like he was in a trance as he made his way back to his apartment. As soon as he closed the door and locked it, Larry made his way to his bathroom and turned the faucet on. He undressed quickly, practically tearing the clothes from his body before he stepped into the shower. Larry's forehead rested against the cool tile of the shower wall. He could feel his heart beating fast, remembering how close he had been to Ahk, how much of his perfect body he had seen. 

Larry grasped his hardened cock in his hand, gasping at how good it felt. He let the warm water rush over his body as he stroked himself quickly, images of Ahkmenrah flitting through his mind, some memories and some fantasies. He imagined Ahk smiling at him, those beautiful eyes staring at him intensely. Larry imagined those perfect lips parting as Ahk moaned, the Pharaoh wrapping his arms around Larry's neck as Larry lowered his lips to Ahk's neck, flicking his tongue against his beautiful skin and could only imagine how it tasted, but somehow already knew that it was good. 

Larry's breath was ragged as moans tumbled from his lips, and he could hear himself whisper Ahk's name as his fingers stroked over the sensitive head and he imagined Ahk kneeling there in his shower, mouth open, his emerald eyes half-lidded, moaning Larry's name-

Larry gasped as he came, come covering his hand and falling onto the shower floor as Larry leaned against the shower wall, panting and shivering. Larry took a deep breath and tried to collect himself. He shook his head repeatedly as he washed his body quickly. He should not have these thoughts, these feelings about Ahk, but Larry did and he could not lie to himself. 

Larry laid in his bed that morning, listening to the gentle noise of rain outside of his window. He knew that he had to do something about this, that he had to address his feelings for Ahkmenrah. 

He hoped that he would do the right thing. 

Larry hoped that they could both be happy. 


	7. Chapter 7

Every night when morning would approach, Ahk climbed into his sarcophagus and waited patiently for Larry to come to him. It seemed each night Larry came to him sooner, giving them at most a half hour alone.

Larry wouldn't say a word before he reached a hand in to hold Ahk's. Ahk stared up at Larry, his heart beating fast at the touch. Larry would sometimes read to him, bringing books about a wizard boy or a magic ring. Or they would talk quietly about what had happened in the museum that evening. Larry's soft voice relaxed him greatly. Some nights they listened to the rain outside. Ahk would look to see Larry's head resting in the crook of his arm, he had dozed off. He smiled, not wanting to wake the man, but he would squeeze Larry's hand gently to rouse him.

One night, he had laid down already thinking of his time spent with Larry. That evening they had spent mostly together, watching a movie while the rest of the museum did other quiet activities. They had sat close, their knees brushing occasionally. Ahk found himself nervous, he was so close to Larry. His head turned slightly to look at Larry, to admire his handsome face, when Larry's eyes would catch his and they would linger.

He had turned his head away after a moment, feeling heat hit his face. His eyes slightly widened when Larry's arm, which had been resting on the back of the couch, came to wrap around his thin shoulders and pull him closer. He hesitated, before letting his head come to rest against Larry's shoulder, forcing himself to not nuzzle against the soft jacket. He couldn't pay attention to the movie after that, instead he listened to Larry breathing, his chest rising and falling was soothing. He thought of ocean waves.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the night guards familiar footsteps. He smiled warmly when Larry peered down at him, and Larry gave him a small smile back. Larry sat in his chair, but he had not taken Ahkmenrah's hand.

Larry looked as if he wanted to speak, but was hesitant.

"Larry?" Ahkmen asked after a minute, feeling worried.

Larry took a deep breath before he reached to hold Ahk's hand in both of his. Larry was staring at his hand, his face showing that he was deep in thought. Ahkmenrah was nervous and wondered if something was wrong. Alarming thoughts ran through his mind. Was Larry upset with him? Would he not be returning tomorrow? Would he be locked in his sarcophagus again?

"Ahk... would you like to go out with me sometime?" 

The temple was completely silent. Larry and Ahk had their eyes locked on each other. Larry let go of Ahkmenrah's hand suddenly. 

"What?" Ahkmenrah whispered in disbelief. 

"I-I..." Larry took a deep breath. Ahk watched him twist the handle of his flashlight nervously. 

"I would like to take to... take you out sometime. It doesn't seem fair for you to always be cooped up in the museum, and I know you love the city..." Larry mumbled.

Ahk felt like he couldn't breathe. He slowly lifted his body to sit up, watching Larry's face carefully. 

They stared at each other, and Ahk knew that this was a significant moment of his and Larry's relationship.

"Do you... You mean to "take me out", like a modern "date"?" Ahk asked the man softly. 

Larry glanced at his watch quickly, and Ahk saw the man swallow nervously, knowing they didn't have much time left to speak. Larry came forward took Ahk's hand again, looking into his eyes. 

"Yes. Yes, Ahk I'd like to take you out on a date. I know, I'm probably too old, or maybe too young, depending on how you look at it... And you, you're royalty! But I... I can't stop thinking about you. And when we spend time together I'm happy, and I have been trying so, _so_ hard to find a way to say..." Larry explained, faltering towards the end.

They were silent for a moment. 

"Ahk-"

Larry's eyes widened as Ahk raised a hand, the Pharaoh's fingers coming to rest over Larry's lips. Ahk did not look at the man, but a smile was growing, bigger and bigger until he had the brightest and widest smile that Ahk had ever felt. His eyes came to meet Larry's and he saw the hope in them. He knew the words that Larry wanted to speak, for Ahkmenrah wanted to say them too. But he did not want to hear them here, in his prison. Ahk lowered his hand slowly, his fingertips brushing over the softness of Larry's lips. 

"Larry Daley, I would like very much to go on a date with you." Ahk told Larry softly.

Ahk laid back down, a smile still on his face. With mere minutes to spare, Larry reached over and began to lower the lid to Ahk's sarcaphagus. Ahk held his breath, his eyes locked on Larry. Before the darkness surrounded him, before his life ended once more, he saw Larry in the light of the temple. 

"I'll take off Friday. We'll go out that night." Larry told him, his voice sounding far away.

The thought of going on a date with Larry made Ahkmenrah feel breathless.

And then when the morning came, he was. 

* * *

Friday came quickly for Larry, and even after all the thought and preparation he had put into that night, all week, he still felt anxious and nervous. He woke from his morning nap early, and remained in his bed for an hour, staring up at the ceiling. The bedroom was filled with sunlight as he laid there, thinking of Ahkmenrah. 

Larry wanted that night to be perfect, and if it couldn't be perfect he at least wanted to make sure Ahk didn't regret going out into the city with him. He knew that Ahk was excited for their date, very much so. It was wonderful to see the Pharaoh with a constant smile on his face, a shine in his eyes that Larry wished he could always see. Larry had done his best to go about his evenings, interacting and spending time with all of the exhibits. But his thoughts constantly drifted to the impending Friday night, and he would forget that he was in a conversation with Teddy and Sacagawea until a loud and sharp "Lawrence!" snapped him out of his thoughts. 

Every night before Friday he and Ahk would meet as they usually did to say goodbye. Larry sat beside the sarcophagus, holding Ahk's hand as they quietly conversed about their evening. In the last few minutes they had together, they would sit silent together. It was hard for Larry to think, that in mere minutes someone as beautiful and sweet as Ahk would be gone, that death would take him once more. The thought brought pain into Larry's heart and he would hold Ahk's hand tighter, wishing that he could somehow give him life. 

"Is it Friday yet?" Ahk would whisper with a smile, looking up at Larry.

"Not yet. Soon." Larry would murmur back, his thumb stroking across the soft skin of Ahk's hand.

Larry's hand curled to hold a fistful of his bed sheets, remembering the night before. Larry took a deep breath before sitting up. He knew that getting his day started would make time go faster. 

Nick, (who had Friday off from school and had spent the night before with Larry), had somehow migrated from his room to the couch, where Larry found him sleeping with the TV on and the volume low. An empty glass of milk and a half eaten Pop-Tart on a plate sat on the coffee table. Larry smiled and shook his head, padding into the kitchen to get some water. 

Their day passed by slowly. Larry and Nick watched cartoons together for the first couple of hours before Nick whined that he was hungry. Larry made them lunch as Nick took a quick shower and cleaned his room (per Larry's request). They ate together and talked about school, girls that Nick liked, and hockey. Larry would be taking Nick to his mother's that night, Erica was taking their son to visit her parents and by the late afternoon Larry made sure that Nick was packed and ready to go early. Nick grumbled as he filled his backpack with some clothes and some toys, not wanting to leave. Larry left him to it as he went to get himself ready.

The hot shower calmed Larry, even as he thought of that night. He had been looking forward to this all week, and now only wished that things would go smoothly and that Ahk would enjoy himself. He scrubbed his body quickly, trying not to think about it too much. If he did, he would pause, and it would take a good minute to shake himself out of his thoughts. 

Turning the shower off, Larry grabbed his towel and dried himself quickly before wrapping it around his waist. In his room Larry contemplated over what he would wear. Ahk always saw him in his security uniform. He decided on a black, long sleeved button down shirt he had recently bought, and a pair of dark jeans. After applying deodorant and a small amount of cologne, Larry slipped on clean boxers and his jeans. The door suddenly opened and Larry opened his mouth to reprimand Nick for not knocking, but the kid was immersed in a game and Larry rolled his eyes as Nick slowly walked over and sat on his bed, his thumbs pressing on the buttons. 

Larry picked up the shirt from his bed and slipped it on. He faced the mirror as he began to button it up. It was quiet in the bedroom for a minute, and then Larry heard Nick speak. 

"Hey, dad?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going out with Ahk?"

Larry's fingers froze on the last button of his shirt. He felt like there was someone pointing a gun at his back, and not his son who was sitting on his bed with his hand held game, looking at his father curiously.

Larry took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face Nick. _"Don't lie. Do not lie to your son."_ He had to repeat to himself in his head.  

 "Yeah... Yeah Nick, I'm taking Ahkmenrah out tonight." Larry said, and it was strange to hear the words come out of his mouth.

"Like on a date?" Nick asked, setting his game down.

Larry sighed and sat down next to Nick on the bed. Larry looked at himself in the mirror. He looked nervous and guilty. 

"Yeah, it's a date." Larry said quietly. He waited for Nick to run out of the room, but his son stayed where he was, looking at Larry. 

"That's cool. Can you beat this level for me, I keep getting killed by ghosts-"

"Wait! You're okay with that?" Larry asked Nick incredulously.

"Sure. I like Ahk, he's fun." Nick nodded, his thumbs pressing the buttons on his game rapidly.

Larry was floored. Was it that simple? No disgusted looks, no awkward questions? Surely Nick was wondering-

"Hey dad?"

"Yes son?"

"How long have you liked guys?"

Larry  was silent. He should have known that was going to come up. It was not that Larry was ashamed of his sexuality. He was just afraid how Nick would process the information. His son had already gone through Larry being a disappointing father, a joke among his school friends. Larry sighed. If Nick wanted the truth, it was all he would give him. 

"Uh... For a long time. I'm... I'm bisexual, Nick. Do you know what that means?" Larry asked gently.

"Um... You like guys and girls?" Nick guessed, looking up at Larry. 

"That's right." Larry smiled softly.

Nick nodded and kicked his legs out on the edge of the bed. Larry knew that he was thinking and he smiled. Larry felt a surge of emotion. Things had gotten better between him and Nick, and Larry had never expected to be able to talk about something so personal with his son. Larry leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Nick and hugged him. Nick usually squirmed whenever Larry did this, but at this moment his son leaned into the hug. 

"Thanks buddy." Larry whispered.

"For what, dad?" Nick asked curiously.

Larry let Nick go and cleared his throat. He smiled at Nick and ruffled his hair, laughing when Nick swatted at his hand with a groan.

"For being so cool." Larry said. 

They sat together quietly, looking at their reflections in the dresser mirror. 

"Ahk really wants to try pizza." Nick said suddenly.

"Did he tell you that?" Larry asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. 

"Uh huh. We talked a lot last night. He had a bunch of questions about New York." Nick said, picking up his game again.

"Pizza. Got it. Are you packed and ready to go to Mom's?" Larry asked as he stood up from the bed. 

 "Yep!" Nick said cheerfully. 

Larry watched his little boy jump from the bed and dash off to his room. Larry pulled out a clean pair of dark socks from his dresser and slipped them on quickly, along with his nice black shoes. Larry eyed himself in the mirror for a moment. He didn't look half bad. 

Larry almost left his bedroom before he remembered something very important. He went back inside the dim room and grabbed a large plastic bag from his closet, before leaving and shutting the door. 

The drive to Erica's was quicker than Larry had anticipated. Larry walked Nick up to the apartment and waited with him until Erica opened the door, looking harried and holding her cell phone to her ear as she always was. Larry greeted her politely and gave Nick a big hug. Nick hugged him back and Larry heard his son whisper,

"Have fun tonight, dad!" 

Larry let Nick go and nodded, nudging Nick towards the door where he mother waited. 

"See ya next Wednesday, man!" Larry said quickly, before Erica shut the door. 

 Larry headed back to his car, and sat in it for a good 20 minutes without moving. He took deep breaths to calm his nerves. Larry was always nervous before dates, but this was obviously extremely different. Larry felt like he needed and wanted to show Ahkmenrah the entire world in one night. 

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, eyeing the time on his watch. At 7:30 PM Larry finally put the key in his ignition and left the garage, heading towards the museum, wondering what that night would bring for him and Ahk.

* * *

Over time Larry had learned how to maneuver through the museum without attracting too much attention to himself. Larry came in through the back door, making his way quickly and quietly towards Ahk's temple. On his way he checked on the front desk, where Paul was already snoozing quietly. Larry let out a sigh as he walked into the Pharaoh's temple. He stood beside the stone case of Ahk's sarcophagus, feeling anxious, and repeatedly glanced at his watch. 

At 8 o'clock precisely, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah began to glow, the gold shining brightly in the dim temple. Larry had seen it happen so many times, but it still always made him shiver as he could hear and feel the museum coming to life. The tablet ceased glowing after a minute. Larry heard the Anubis begin to shift, turning to look at Larry. He ignored them and hurried to open Ahk's sarcophagus, his heart beating fast. Friday night had finally come.

He was going on a date with Ahkmenrah. 

Larry carefully lifted the lid. Ahk laid there, still, but he had a bright smile on his face when he saw Larry. 

"Is it Friday?" Ahk whispered, excitement in his voice.

"It's Friday." Larry told him with a smile. 

Larry offered his hand to Ahk, who took it, and helped the Pharaoh out of his coffin. Ahk stood beside Larry and they smiled shyly at each other. Larry noticed Ahk eyeing his clothes. 

"You look very handsome, Larry." Ahk said softly, sincerely.

"Thanks, Ahk..." Larry said, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. 

 Another minute passed, and Larry suddenly cleared his throat.

"Should... Should we?..." Larry mumbled, gesturing toward the entrance to the temple.

"Yes!" Ahk nodded, reaching into his coffin to grab his deshret. 

"Oh, Ahk! You don't need that tonight." Larry said gently.

"I don't?" Ahk asked curiously.

"No, not tonight. I have something for you." Larry told him, taking Ahk's hand. "Follow me."

Ahk held Larry's hand tightly as they exited the temple and carefully made their way through the museum, with Larry avoiding the hallways and paths that would attract attention. They soon came to a quiet hallway close to the front entrance. Larry stopped walking and he let go of Ahk's hand. Ahk stood beside him, still looking confused. Larry took a deep breath and lifted up the large plastic bag for Ahk to see. 

"I brought you some clothes to wear tonight. I tried to pick something you would like. Um..." 

Larry held the shopping bag out to Ahk nervously. Ahk blinked at him before reaching out to take the bag from Larry. He peered inside curiously, a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, Larry. I shall dress myself and we can be on our way!" Ahk said excitedly, clutching the bag in his arms. 

Ahk turned and went quickly down the hall. Larry watched, wondering where Ahkmenrah was going when he saw him enter McPhee's office and disappear through the door. Larry let out a breath of relief and went to sit down on a wooden bench close by. 

Several minutes passed by, and Larry became lost in his thoughts. He could hardly believe it, he was taking an ancient Pharaoh out on a date in New York City. He had taken into consideration of what Nick had told him, and knew of a great pizza place he wanted to take Ahk. Larry smiled to himself, picturing Ahk's grin and eyes bright with excitement. 

"Larry?"

Larry looked to see Ahk's upper body leaning awkwardly outside of the slightly open door. 

"What's up?" Larry asked, getting up from his seat. 

"Could... Could you please help me? I'm finding that dressing myself in these clothes is proving to be more difficult than I had thought..." Ahk mumbled.

"Uh, sure, no problem!" Larry stammered, walking towards the door.

Larry glanced around his shoulder before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. Ahkmenrah stood a few feet away, looking bashful. He had pulled the dark jeans on correctly, but they were unzipped and unbuttoned. Because of this, Larry could see that Ahk had on the black boxers he had bought, and was thankful to see that they had been put on the right way. The blue shirt that Larry had got him lay on the leather couch in the office, and Larry could see that the buttons had confused Ahk.  

"I'm sorry Larry, I..." Ahk stammered, looking upset.

"Hey, hey... It's alright. It's new and I'm here to help!" Larry said cheerfully, quick to react to Ahk's distress. He didn't want Ahk to be upset tonight.

Larry stepped close to Ahkmenrah and smiled, waiting until Ahk smiled back. Larry knew that Ahk was still excited for tonight, and he didn't want to waste time. Larry was nervous, but he was quick to finish dressing the Pharaoh. He felt heat touch his face as he held Ahk's hip with his left hand for barely a second as he pulled up the zipper, the hum of it seeming loud in the quiet room. With fingers slightly fumbling he buttoned the jeans and then stood back. Ahk ran his slender fingers over the material, turning left and right. Larry bit his lip, trying not to enjoy seeing a shirtless Ahk in form fitting jeans _too_ much. 

"How do they feel?" Larry asked.

"So... different. But I like it." Ahk said, looking up at Larry with a bright smile that made him feel breathless.

"Not too loose or tight?" Larry asked, relieved when Ahk shook his head.

Larry helped Ahk with the shirt next, and they chuckled together when Larry missed a button and he had to redo it. 

"See? I do that all the time. Especially when I'm in a hurry." Larry said as he fixed the collar of the shirt. 

"You are in a hurry now?" Ahk asked with a small smile.

"Um... yeah. I'm really looking forward to tonight." Larry said quietly as he slipped a black belt through the loops of the jeans, feeling a blush on his face. 

Ahk said nothing, but there was a smile on his face as Larry buckled the belt. Ahk sat down on the edge of the couch and Larry watched as Ahk slipped on the socks he had brought him, making sure they were on the right way. Finally, Larry helped him with the black boots he had picked out for Ahk. When his feet were covered, Ahk leaned over and looked at the boots curiously. Larry held out his hand and Ahk took it, standing up. Larry stepped back and watched as Ahk took carefully strides around the office. Larry felt in awe as he watched Ahk. He looked so different without his royal garb, but he looked amazing in his new outfit. Everything fit him perfectly and Ahk looked like a handsome young man from the 21st century. Larry felt briefly proud that he had not screwed up purchasing clothes for Ahkmenrah. 

"How do they feel?" Larry asked him again.

"Strange, but... I believe they are comfortable." Ahk said, looking up at Larry. 

"You look great, Ahk." Larry said softly.

They stood there for a moment, staring at each other. Larry swallowed nervously and began to collect Ahk's regular clothes, putting them carefully into the large plastic bag that he had brought the modern clothes in. Ahk watched Larry as he hid the bag underneath McPhee's desk. Larry stood up, realizing it was time to go. He came to stand close to Ahk, and Larry's mind threw all of his thoughts and fears at him at once.

Would Ahk like it out there? What if he got hurt? Would they have enough time to do what Ahk wanted? What _did_ Ahk want?

What if Larry messed everything up?

But Larry looked into Ahk's shining eyes and he could see the excitement and anticipation and his fears were quelled. Larry reached out and took Ahk's hand in his own, his thumb stroking comfortingly over the trembling fingers.

"Ready?" Larry asked, his voice gentle.

Ahk nodded quickly, squeezing Larry's hand. 

* * *

They managed to leave the museum quietly without being noticed by any of the exhibits. Larry checked one last time to see that Paul was still asleep, (which he was, even as Rexy was sniffing the sleeping man curiously), before he and Ahk exited the front door. Ahk stood still for a moment, breathing in the night air. 

It was a cool September night. Ahkmenrah had been outside before, he had gone into Central Park last December. But tonight he and Larry could go far, he could explore such a grand city that took so many years to become what it was. Larry watched him look around slowly. Everywhere Ahk looked, there was more. He was excited, his body trembling with anticipation. 

"Ahk?"

Ahkmenrah turned to look at Larry, who was smiling at him. Larry walked towards the stone steps and waited for Ahk to follow slowly, still mesmerized by the city. They walked onto the sidewalk, and he and Larry began walking up it. Ahkmenrah looked around nervously. He ran his hands over his arms, comforted by the softness of the shirt he wore. Suddenly Larry stopped, and Ahk ceased walking. Larry stepped close to the road, where many cars drove past them. Larry looked to his left, and Ahk stared at him curiously. Larry raised his arm, and Ahkmen gasped when a yellow vehicle came to stop in front of Larry. It took Ahk a moment to realize it was a taxi. 

"I drove here, but part of experiencing New York for the first time is taking a legit New York cab." Larry said as he opened the door for Ahk.

Ahk grinned at Larry, but his smile faltered when he saw the disgruntled face of the cab driver. Larry stepped towards him and tugged on his arm gently, pulling Ahk towards the cab. 

"Don't worry, they're all mostly like that." Larry murmured, and Ahk smiled again before carefully sitting on the seat and sliding over so Larry could get in as well.

"Where to?" The driver, (a black gentleman who looked rather tired), asked quickly. 

Where to, indeed? Ahkmenrah glanced at Larry.

"235, Mulberry Street." Larry told the driver politely.

Ahkmenrah sat quiet, wondering what that was. Larry came close to him and reached over Ahk's body to pull an odd looking strap across Ahkmen's body. He heard a small "click" and suddenly Ahk was bound to the seat, although he could move somewhat. He looked at Larry in confusion, but the man was doing the same thing to himself, and when he was secure, he settled back into the seat and smiled at Ahk.

"Seat belts. It's a safety thing." Larry explained quickly, and Ahk could only nod. 

Ahkmenrah let out a small gasp as the taxi began to move, and moved closer to Larry. He had never been in a vehicle (alive) before. Larry took his hand in his and smiled at Ahk, who was now gazing out of the window in wonder. There were so many things to look at and Ahk did his very best to try and see it all, his eyes moving about. Lights and sounds, people walking down the streets, shops, restaurants, enormous skyscrapers passed by and Ahk felt excited and dizzy. How much could he see and do in one night?

"Ahk." Larry said softly.

Ahk tore his eyes away from the window to look at Larry, who was smiling at him. 

"Are you hungry?"

* * *

Ahk's eyes widened as their taxi came to a stop. He glanced at Larry, who was handing money to the driver with his thanks, before the man opened the taxi door. Ahk hurried to get out, but was still buckled in. Larry chuckled apologetically and leaned down to unbuckle Ahk quickly. He held his hand out for Ahkmen to take and he got out of the cab, carefully shutting the door behind him. The taxi sped off, and he and Larry were now standing in front of a busy restaurant. 

Rubirosa Ristorante was filled with diners as Larry led Ahkmenrah inside. Ahk's senses were overwhelmed. His stomach rumbled and his mouth watered as delicious smells wafted by, smells that he had no names for. People dressed nicely for that evening sat together at many different tables, talking and laughing. Servants, or "waiters"as Ahk would come to learn what they were called, bustled about carrying menus and trays of drinks and steaming food. Ahk could hear delightful music playing overhead. 

Ahk followed Larry close as they went up to a young woman at a wooden podium and Larry spoke to her. Soon they were walking through the restaurant, and Ahk felt nervous as he tried not to stare at everyone he passed, but he could also see random eyes flick to look in his direction before the diners continued with their meals and conversations. The young lady led them to a small table with two chairs and smiled as Ahk and Larry sat down, before placing a menu in front of each of them. 

"Your server Maria will be right with you!" The girl said cheerfully.

Ahkmenrah watched her walk away and glanced around the restaurant in awe. It was odd to be out in modern day public, wearing these clothes, to be sitting with Larry outside of the museum.

Larry.

Ahk looked at the man who was smiling at him softly, his blue eyes calm. Ahk's mouth suddenly felt dry. He was on a date with Larry. This was real and happening. 

"So. My son told me that you have been wanting to try pizza." Larry said with a grin.

Ahk's mouth fell open, but he closed it quickly.

"There's... There is pizza here?" He asked quietly, gasping softly when Larry nodded.

Suddenly another young lady with dark hair and eyes came to their table, a smile on her face.

"Hi! My name is Maria-"

"May we have a pizza, please?" Ahk blurted out, before covering his mouth with his hands and looking away, blushing furiously. 

Maria looked confused, but still held her smile. Larry smiled at Ahk, reaching over to rub his arm gently.

"He's never had pizza before, so he's really excited." Larry told the girl, who giggled softly. 

"Well, you're in the right place sir! Do you know what you would like, then?" Maria asked kindly, pulling a small pad of paper and a pen from the pocket of her small black apron.

"Uh, no I think we'll need a couple more minutes." Larry said quickly, glancing at Ahk who nodded slowly.

"No problem! What can I get for you to drink?" Maria asked.

"I'll have water with lemon, and Ahk?..." Larry looked over at him, and he felt frozen.

He stared at Larry, unsure of what to say. After an awkward minute he felt foolish, it was only a choice of drink.

"Larry, what was that drink you once gave to me... It tasted of citrus and was refreshing." Ahk tried to explain, remembering how wonderful that drink had been.

"Citrus-y and fresh... Um. Oh, Sprite?" Larry guessed, grinning when Ahk smiled.

"Yes! I shall have a Sprite, please." Ahk told Maria proudly.

"Gotcha, one Sprite and one water. I'll be right back!" Maria told them before turning and walking away. 

"We should choose our pizza so we can order when she comes back with our drinks." Larry said as he looked down at the menu, and Ahk nodded in agreement. 

Ahkmenrah read the menu carefully, unsure of what he wanted. A pizza was meant to be shared, and he was afraid that Larry would not like his selection. He waited for Larry to speak, to choose their pizza, but the man looked up and smirked at Ahk.

"It's your choice Ahk. I'll eat just about anything." Larry told him as he closed the menu and placed it near the edge of the table. 

Ahk's eyebrows furrowed as he looked closely at the menu. He spent the next couple of minutes asking Larry what certain things were, and Larry did his best to explain. At last, as Maria came back with their drinks, Ahk had chosen a pizza. Maria set their drinks down on the table and pulled out her paper and pen again. Ahk carefully took a drink of his Sprite, sipping through a black straw. The drink was ice cold and delicious and Ahk felt himself shiver in delight.

"Are we ready to order?" Maria asked sweetly.

"We'll have a small caprese pizza, please." Larry told her, and she smiled as she wrote their choice down.

"That one is so good! Did you gentleman want any appetizers?" She asked.

"Sure, we'll take a basket of mozzarella sticks." Larry told her as he handing her the menus.

"Great! I'll have those right out." Maria told them, smiling at Ahk, and hurried away to speak to another table. 

Ahk relaxed a little after she had left. He sipped his drink, glancing around the restaurant. He could hardly believe that he was out of the museum, sitting among modern day people, dressed this way, on a date with Larry Daley. Ahk felt a smile tug at his lips, and let out a breath of laughter. If these people knew that he had been dead an hour ago, that he had come from the inside of a sarcophagus like some sort of monster, the entire restaurant would be in hysterics. Larry saw him laugh and smiled.

"What's funny?" Larry asked cheerfully.

"Oh, nothing." Ahk said, shaking his head. He didn't want his dark sense of humor to spoil their night. 

"I shall have to thank Nick for telling you that I've wanted to try pizza." Ahk told Larry, and the man laughed. 

"He's a good kid. He thinks you're the best." Larry said.

"And I am quite fond of him." Ahk said truthfully, feeling a warmth in his cheeks. 

For the next few minutes they chatted about Larry's day. Ahkmenrah loved to hear of what the man did when he was not at the museum, even the small things that Larry merely shrugged at. As Larry spoke, he imagined what it would be like, to be around Larry all the time. He imagined waking up in the mornings, kissing Larry awake. He would run into Nick's room, rouse the boy, and they would sit together and have breakfast before going out and spending the day together. Ahk could remember sunlight, and it hurt to remember. He pictured it, the golden light of it. He wanted to walk in it with Larry, to hold the man's hand as they walked through Central Park.

"Ahk?"

Ahkmenrah blinked, realizing that he had been staring at Larry without speaking. 

"I'm sorry." Ahk said quickly, looking down.

Larry frowned and reached over to take Ahk's hand in his. It comforted him greatly, realizing that his thoughts had made him sad.

"Are you okay?" Larry asked him gently.

Ahk didn't speak, but he squeezed Larry's hand gently. Internally, he was angry with himself. He wanted too much, he wanted impossible things. He was wasting precious time to enjoy being out with Larry. He needed to just enjoy this night and whatever came with it. 

Ahk took a deep breath and looked up at Larry, a bright smile on his face. This was going to be a wonderful night.

"I am fine Larry. Thank you for bringing me here." Ahk said, letting go of Larry's hand to take a sip of his Sprite.

"Y-yeah, no problem! Are you excited to have pizza?" Larry asked.

"Very. But I am curious, what are mozzarella sticks?" Ahk asked. 

 "I think you'll like 'em. They're-" Larry had begun to explain, when Maria came up to their table.

"Here's your appetizer gentlemen!" Maria said cheerfully, setting down a basket of food and two small white plates. "Your pizza will be ready shortly."

Ahk peered into the black plastic basket curiously. Inside, small sticks of what looked to be bread were steaming, along with a small white dish of red sauce. It smelled delicious, and hunger pangs came to his stomach, but he waited for Larry to do something.Thankfully, Larry picked up a plate and placed it before him. The man reached into the basket and picked up one of the golden brown sticks. 

"So these are mozzarella sticks.They are breaded pieces of soft cheese, and you just..." Larry paused to dip the mozzarella stick into the red sauce, before lifting it carefully to his mouth to take a small bite.

"I see." Ahk murmured, taking a stick from the basket.

He mimicked Larry, dipping the breaded cheese into the sauce. Ahk took a bite and his tongue met wonderful flavors that he had never experienced before. His eyes fluttered closed, his hand lowering to put the remaining part of the mozzarella stick down, but something was wrong. Ahk opened his eyes in confusion, looking down. A long strand of cheese hung between the bite he had taken and the rest of the stick. Ahk tried to pull it to break it, but it only grew longer.

"Mmf, L-Larry?" Ahk muttered around clenched teeth awkwardly.

"Huh? Oh gosh-" Larry began to laugh, covering his mouth with his hand.

"What do I do?" Ahk asked, still desperately tugging the mozzarella stick to try and break free.

He glared as Larry's whole body shook in laughter, the man's face turning red. In the back of his mind, Ahk knew that this was probably quite amusing, but right now he just wanted help.  

"J-Just bite down hard, Ahk!" Larry gasped after a minute. 

Ahkmenrah rolled his eyes and did what Larry had said. His teeth broke into the cheese and he was finally able to swallow the bite he had taken. Even though he was slightly annoyed and embarrassed, he had to admit it was quite delicious. Larry had stopped laughing hard, but let out a chuckle here and there as he took a drink of his water. He smiled at Ahk apologetically. 

"You are rude for laughing, Larry Daley." Ahk told him, but he smirked.

"I'm sorry. That... was really cute and funny. If it makes you feel better, I did the same thing when I was a kid." Larry told him.

Ahk hummed, blushing as he took another careful bite. 

There were no more incidents after that, and he enjoyed himself greatly as he and Larry finished their appetizer. He asked Larry about the restaurant, what part of New York they were in, and what they would do after dinner.

"Well, we can walk around for a bit, and if there is anything you'd like to see, we'll try to do that." Larry told him. 

"I wish I could see and do everything tonight." Ahk sighed with a smile.

"It's okay! If there's something you want to do tonight and we don't get to it, we'll do it next time." Larry said.

There was a pause as Ahk's mind began to process what Larry had said. 

"You... You will take me outside again? On another date?" Ahk asked softly.

"Yeah, yeah I would really like to. If you wanted?..." Larry murmured.

Ahkmenrah saw the hope and sincerity in Larry's eyes and his heart beat fast. Ahk nodded quickly, raising a hand to rub his eyes. Larry opened his mouth to speak, when Maria was suddenly at their table again, this time setting down a small stand, and then their pizza, hot and smelling absolutely delightful, was set before them. Another server who had followed Maria set down two medium sized white plates and picked up the smaller plates and the empty basket.

"Here's your pizza! I hope you like it! I'll get you some more Sprite, sir." Maria said before walking away. 

Ahk stared at the pizza, his mouth watering. He didn't notice Larry serving him a generous slice of it until the plate was set in front of him. Larry smiled at Ahk and then served himself.

"I'm sure you're pretty excited to try it, but it's pretty hot. I'd let it cool off for a minute." Larry told him, and Ahk nodded. 

A couple of minutes passed as Larry showed him the different seasonings that were on the table that he could put on his pizza, as well as a fine powdered cheese. Ahk carefully sprinkled some of the cheese over his slice of pizza. 

At last, he was ready to eat. Ahk mimicked Larry and lifted his slice towards his mouth carefully, the smell of cheese and tomato strong in his nose. Larry took a bite and Ahk did the same, before setting his slice back onto his plate. He chewed slowly, tasting all the different parts of the pizza. He savored his first bite like it was his last. Ahk swallowed, looking at Larry who was watching him.

"Well?" Larry asked with a bright smile. 

Larry waited patiently as Ahk took another sip of his Sprite. He took a breath before speaking.

"I am over four thousand years old, Larry. I have seen and experienced amazing things."Ahk said.

He paused.

"But pizza is by far one of the greatest." 

* * *

Larry had enjoyed having dinner with Ahkmenrah immensely. It was amazing to be out in public with Ahkmenrah, to be on a date with him. Not only because he was actually an undead Pharaoh, but because Ahk was so much more. Larry enjoyed Ahk's questions and their conversations. Larry had been on many dates where the other person was always negative, a disdain for the small things in life. Ahkmenrah, for all of the terrible things that had happened to him, for his eternal situation, was bright and positive. He seemed to bring out the best in Larry. Larry hadn't smiled and laughed this much in so long. 

Larry payed for their meal, and left Maria a good tip. They got two drinks to go as well, and Ahk thanked Larry over and over for dinner. 

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Larry chuckled as they left the restaurant. 

 "What shall we do now?" Ahk asked eagerly, looking around.

"What would you like to do, Ahk?" Larry asked him.

"Could we perhaps walk down the sidewalk?" Ahk asked Larry, sounding hopeful.

"Sure!" Larry said. "Just stay close to me."

Ahk smiled and Larry blushed when Ahk slipped his hand into Larry's. Ahk looked at Larry innocently and took a sip of his drink. 

They strolled down Mulberry Street for the next few minutes. Occasionally they would pause for Ahk to peer into a window, or to admire something. It amused and intrigued Larry to see what Ahk was curious about. Larry nodded, answering a question if Ahk asked him something. Larry felt a feeling of contentment he had not felt in a long time. He didn't think that he could ever get tired of spending time with Ahk. Sometimes Larry would gaze at Ahk, admire his handsome features, until the green eyes turned to look at Larry and he would glance away, embarrassed for staring. 

Larry suddenly heard Ahkmenrah gasped, and then he was being dragged by the hand towards an open door. Larry had a brief moment to see that they had come to a dance studio. A sign was taped to the door: "Free Dance Lesson Tonight!"

"Ahk, wait-" Larry exclaimed, but Ahk was too fast.

Larry found himself standing in a brightly lit dance studio. A dozen or so black women stared at Larry and Ahk as they had burst into the room. One woman with long braids stood at the front of the room, her hands on her hips. 

"Can I help you?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

"I-I'm sorry. He's never been to New York and he saw your sign, a-and he kinda dragged us in here." Larry stammered, clutching his plastic to-go cup tightly in his hand. 

Shonda raised an eyebrow and flicked a few braids over her shoulder. She eyed Ahk, who still stood there smiling and looking excited.

"You wanna dance, honey?" The woman asked Ahk.

Larry looked around the room nervously. All of the women were staring at Ahk, their expressions varying from amused to skeptical. Larry watched as Ahk nodded eagerly. 

"If beautiful ladies such as yourselves would permit me to join the lesson." Ahk said, and Larry was impressed with his smoothness.

He was not the only one. The women began laughing, giggling, and someone whistled. The dance instructor smirked.

"Alright. What's your name handsome?" She asked.

"My name is Ahk. And this is Larry Daley!" Ahkmenrah told her, turning to glance at Larry with a dazzling smile. 

"Okay Ahk, Larry. My name is Shonda. If you are gonna dance, find a space at the front." Shonda pointed to where the other women were standing.

"Thank you! Come, Larry!" Ahk said excitedly, but Larry held up his hands nervously. 

"No, no. It's okay. I'll sit over there and watch." Larry told Ahk, feeling bad when Ahk's smile fell. 

"Are you sure?" Ahk asked him quietly, and Larry nodded. 

"Go ahead, show them your moves." Larry said cheerfully, winking at Ahk. 

"Very well." Ahk laughed, before walking away to stand at the front. 

Larry watched as the women glanced at Ahk and he smiled at them, charming them instantly. Larry went to sit on one of the plastic chairs to watch, setting his drink on the wooden floor. Shonda walked over to the stereo and pressed play. Instantly, the familiar notes of an R&B tune began to play and the women cheered and Ahk looked excited. 

"Alright ladies and Ahk!" Shonda announced. "Are we ready to groove?!"

The ladies cheered again and Ahk grinned. 

"Let's begin with some steps! Step right! Step left! Again! Step right, step left..."

Larry grinned as he watched Ahk and the class follow Shonda's instruction. He even clapped and tapped his feet along with the beat. Ahk followed along effortlessly, and Larry loved the look of happiness on Ahk's face as he danced. The ladies around Ahk were cheering and giggling, loving Ahk's moves and enthusiasm. 

The first song ended and the second began, and Shonda taught the class new steps and moves. Larry couldn't stop staring at Ahk. He was so happy and full of life. And, he looked incredibly sexy as he danced. The class was immersed in the energy and music. Larry suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to his left to see Shonda standing there. 

"He's a natural, Larry. You should get up and dance. That would make him happy." She said, smiling down at Larry. 

Larry blushed, opening his mouth to protest, but he shut it after a moment. He looked over to where Ahk was, still dancing and smiling. He heard the Pharaoh's laughter, and Larry felt his heart warm. Larry looked back at Shonda and nodded, standing up from his chair. Shonda led him to stand close to Ahk, who kept dancing but looked over to see Larry smiling at him. Ahk gave him a dazzling smile. 

"Larry!" Ahk exclaimed.

"Larry's gonna join us!" Shonda announced above the music, and the ladies cheered and laughed.

In truth, Larry actually did enjoy dancing and was pretty good at it. His younger days were spent in clubs with friends. But no one really knew that.

Shonda put on a new song with a fast beat. 

"Step, step, turn! Step back, back, gimme some hips! You got this!!"

Larry surprisingly found it easy to follow along, and managed to step in the right way. He would glance over at Ahk, and they would catch each other's eyes and grin. Time went by quickly, and five songs later, Larry was slightly sweating and breathing hard, his mouth hurt from smiling so much. The class was wrapping up, and Larry went over to the chair and picked up his cup and took a long drink. He looked to see Ahk talking to some of the women, who were complimenting his dancing and laughing. He saw Larry looking at him, and after saying goodbye to the ladies and Shonda, he walked over to Larry. Ahk's chest was rising and falling as he breathed, and Larry saw color in his cheeks. Larry picked up Ahk's cup of Sprite and handed it to him. Ahk thanked him and took a sip of his drink. Larry let out a soft laugh when Ahk let out a small moan. 

"Yeah, dancing will make you thirsty." Larry laughed, and Ahk nodded.

"It's only 12:30, Ahk. What would you like to do next?" Larry asked. 

Ahk looked thoughtful for a minute, still taking sips of his drink. At last he looked into Larry's eyes and smiled. 

"May we go to Central Park?" 

* * *

Ahkmenrah sighed happily as he leaned against Larry, smiling as the man wrapped an arm around his shoulder. The cab they were in was almost near Central Park. A soft jazz song played on the radio, and Ahk watched streaks of colored lights pass as they traveled through the city. 

It had been an incredible night, and it was not over, not just yet. Ahk never wanted this night to end. Larry was so generous and charming, and Ahk had seen a side of the man he hadn't before. Ahk looked at Larry's face. The man had his eyes closed for the moment, a small smile upon his lips. Ahk relaxed against Larry, feeling like he could fall asleep. 

In a few minutes the taxi came to stop. Larry paid their driver and they got out of the cab. 

Ahk looked up at the gate entrance gate of Central Park. He remembered that night in the snow, only a few months ago. And now he was back, and on a romantic date with the man who had freed him. 

"We'll take a slow stroll for a little while. And then we'll need to get back to the museum, okay Ahk?" Larry said softly. 

Ahk nodded. Larry smiled at him, his hand coming to hold Ahkmen's. Their fingers intertwined, and Ahk suddenly felt shy. As they began to walk, he remembered how he and Larry had rescued the tablet. He remembered how the man had looked at him that night, and he remembered how he had first looked at Larry, really looked at him. Snow had been falling, and Ahk had been gazing at the man who had saved him, saved his tablet. He had been lost in the grey-blue of Larry's eyes. 

"It wasn't that long ago we were here." Larry murmured, as if he had heard Ahk's thoughts.

"That was an exciting night. I am thankful it ended well." Ahkmenrah told Larry, earning a laugh from the man.

"So am I..." Larry said softly.

They walked in silence together. Ahkmenrah enjoyed Central Park. He smelled the trees and grass. He felt a gentle breeze against his body, and heard it rustle the branches full of leaves. Somewhere, Ahk could hear a voice singing, and a acoustic guitar was being strummed. Even at night, the park was full of life. 

Ahkmen and Larry came upon a couple of vendors on their walk. Ahk stopped to marvel at a vendor that sold t-shirts that lit up, their colorful lights flashing bright in the dark. Afterwards, Larry bought them water from another vendor. Ahk thanked him and took a drink of ice water. They continued on their way for a few minutes, before Larry stopped them again, right before they were about to cross a bridge. Ahk took a seat on a wooden bench, their cups of water in his hands.

"Wait here, I'll be right back!" Larry told him, before walking away quickly.

Ahkmenrah was slightly nervous to be left alone. He tried to relax, to look around where he sat. He thought back to all that he and Larry had done together that night, smiling at the new memories. Ahk had never been on a date before, but he was sure that this was going quite well. 

Ten minutes later, Larry came back. Ahk stood up, glad to see the man and Larry smiled back, looking relieved to see Ahk. Ahk noticed something different and could now see that Larry held a plastic bag in his hand. 

"What is that, Larry?" Ahk asked curiously. 

* * *

Ahk gasped, his eyes widening. Larry stood there with a bashful look as he held up the shirt with the glowing bars, the lights changing and pulsing against the black shirt. 

"Larry!"

"I know you really thought it was neat, so I wanted you to have it... As a memory of tonight." Larry told him kindly as he handed the shirt to Ahk.  

Ahk grinned and looked from the shirt, to Larry's amused face, and back multiple times. Ahkmenrah placed the blinking t-shirt over one arm and suddenly began to unbutton the shirt he was wearing. Larry mouth opened in surprise and he was quick to react, dragging a still grinning Ahk over by a tree. Ahk was still undoing the buttons and made a small frustrated noise when he couldn't get the last few undone. Larry, with a blush on his face, chuckled nervously and reached over towards where Ahk's fingers were fumbling. Ahk moved his hands away and was still as Larry unbuttoned the rest of Ahk's shirt, revealing his toned abdomen. Larry had come quite close to shield Ahkmenrah from the public, but now Larry realized that he was extremely close to a shirtless Ahk. 

"It's not the best idea to strip in public." Larry told Ahk gently, who nodded with a blush on his face.

"I'm sorry, Larry. I just want to wear such a wonderful gift." Ahk said, sounding apologetic as he carefully pulled the t-shirt over his head.

"It's alright!" Larry laughed, looking at Ahk with his new shirt. 

Ahk smiled and looked down. The smile disappeared slowly and Larry saw that the equalizer bars had stopped flashing. 

"Oh... Did I break it?" Ahk whispered sadly, and Larry shook his head quickly.

"No! No, there's a little battery pack-" 

 Larry reached under the t-shirt, his hand brushing against Ahk's back as he felt for the battery. Larry realized how awkward he was at this moment. He also realized that he and Ahk were now closer than they had just been. Larry's lips were close to Ahk's ear, his left hand on Ahk's hip as his right hand continued to search. Larry sighed, feeling like an idiot, before bringing his left hand under the black t-shirt as well. 

"Larry..." Ahk breathed.

Larry brought his head back slightly to look at Ahk's face. Ahk was gazing at Larry with a shy smile. Larry saw the Pharaoh's eyes fall to look at Larry's lips. Larry's heart beat sped up. 

Did Ahk want Larry to kiss him? Because he definitely wanted to kiss Ahk.

Larry brought his face closer to Ahk's, when light came between them. Larry had managed to press the right button and the shirt had lit up. Larry saw the colors dance in Ahk's eyes and they began to laugh quietly together. Larry brought his hands from under Ahk's shirt and picked up the other shirt that had fallen to the ground. Larry folded it the best that he could and placed it into the plastic bag. He smiled, glancing up at Ahk who was admiring the shirt and grinning at Larry. 

"Thank you Larry!" Ahk exclaimed. 

"No problem. It looks great, by the way." Larry said, and Ahk looked away bashfully.

They stood there for a moment, before they both began to chuckle nervously. Larry checked his watch quickly. They still had some time before they needed to head back. 

"Let's go onto the Bow Bridge." 

* * *

Ahkmenrah stood with Larry on the bridge, gazing out onto the dark water of the lake. Skyscrapers, large and covered in lights like stars reflected on the water, as if another New York existed beneath the Lake. Ahkmenrah tried to imagine it. It would always be night, so he could stay with Larry. 

Ahk and Larry talked quietly, and Larry asked him questions. It amused him when Larry would look nervous as he asked him a question about his old life. 

"What do you miss the most about being a Pharaoh?" Larry had asked, and Ahk had laughed.

"Hm... I'm really not sure." Ahkmenrah said after thinking about it for a minute.

"Really? I think everyone thinks about if they were a king or queen at least once in their life." Larry said, leaning against the stone rail of the bridge with a sigh.

"Do they? What for?" Ahk asked him.

"Selfish reasons mostly. To be rich, or to have people to order around." Larry laughed, shaking his hand. 

 Ahk let out a breath of laughter. He used to to have those things, but they did not make him happy. 

"Those things don't matter when you just want..." Ahk started, but faltered. 

 _When you just want to be alive._  

 They were quiet, and both men looked out onto the water. Ahk suddenly heard Larry laugh, and the man turned to look at him with a smile. 

"I bet you can get people to do whatever you wanted anyway." Larry said, and Ahk smirked. 

"Very well... Larry Daley, I command you to give me a sip of your drink, for my cup is empty." Ahk said without real force, holding his hand out.

Larry chuckled and handed Ahkmenrah his cup, smiling when the Pharaoh said "Thank you." softly, and turned to look back out on the water. Ahkmen took the last few sips of the drink before setting the cup down.

His eyes were on Larry. The man had given him such a wonderful night out of the museum. Ahk wanted it to always be like this. To wear these clothes, to walk among other people, to eat and laugh and see the world with Larry-

Ahk knew he could not have those things. 

But Larry had said he could get what he wanted.

"Larry." He called softly.

Larry looked back at him with a smile, and Ahk swallowed, gazing at Larry's handsome face. Ahk took a breath, biting his lip softly. 

"Ahk? What is it?" Larry asked, tilting his head.

"Larry, I want you to kiss me." Ahk whispered.

Larry's eyes widened slightly and his lips parted, but he did not speak. Ahkmen felt waves of longing beat at his trembling heart. Larry moved away from the rail and stepped close to Ahk. He saw Larry's hands come up towards his face and Ahk closed his eyes briefly as warm palms cradled his jaw. Ahk gasped softly and opened his eyes to see Larry, so close. 

"Was that a command as Pharaoh?" Larry murmured with a smile. He let out a breath of laughter when Ahk shook his head. 

"It is the desire of a man that has feelings for you, Larry." Ahk whispered.

His secret had left his heart and was now at the will of the universe. Would it let him have Larry, if only for this night?

"Ahk..." Larry breathed.

Ahkmen's arms shook as they slid around Larry's shoulders. They held each other's gaze as desire sparked through their bodies, their lips a mere inch away. Ahkmen did not want to think of what he was, or what this would or wouldn't become, and so he pushed those thoughts away. 

He let out a soft noise when Larry's lips brushed tenderly against his forehead. His cheek was next, and he felt the man's light stubble as Larry kissed the smooth skin there. The touch of Larry's lips brought warmth to his body that he had not felt since his last day, when he was truly alive. Ahk's hands gripped the fabric of Larry's shirt, his heart pounding as he saw Larry gazing at him, eyes half-lidded. Larry was going to kiss him, and he felt frightened and exhilarated. His arms grew weak, and began to slip from Larry's shoulders. Larry's arms wrapped around Ahk, pressing him against his warm body.

 _"Hold on to me."_ Larry whispered against his trembling lips, before his eyes closed.

Larry's lips were warm and soft, their first kiss gentle. It sent shivers through Ahk's body, and his arms wrapped around Larry's shoulders tighter. Their lips parted, but they remained in each other's arms. Larry kissed his cheek softly, whispering,

"Can I kiss you again?" 

Ahk's lips met Larry's again, giving the man his answer. They kissed each other slowly, and Ahk continued to feel delightful shivers of pleasure travel through his body, his heart beating fast. Larry's hands stroked up and down his back slowly, sometimes his fingers pushing the shirt he wore up, the man's fingers brushing against his skin. Ahk moaned softly as Larry's tongue suddenly traced over his lips, and Ahk parted them, taking a breath, before their tongues met to massage slowly against each other's. 

Long minutes passed as Ahkmenrah and Larry kissed each other. Ahk never wanted this to end, and was glad that Larry seemed lost in their kissing like he was. One of Larry's hands had come to hold the side of Ahk's face, the man's thumb stroking his cheek gently as their lips slid against each other's. Larry's other hand rested on the small of Ahk's back. Ahk's senses were overwhelmed by Larry. He could feel the strength and warmth of the man's arms as Larry held him. His nose was filled with the wonderful scent of his cologne. And his lips...

Ahk wanted to remember everything. His body shook and his heart shuddered. Ahk moaned and kissed Larry passionately. He was aroused, and so was Larry, as he could feel as the man pulled Ahk's body against him. Larry moaned, and Ahk vowed to remember that sound, to hear it again. 

Ahkmenrah would die once more, when morning came. But he would gladly become nothing, over and over again, to have this moment of life.

At last they parted to breathe, their chests rising and falling and they gazed at each other. Larry's lips were dark from their kissing, and Ahk felt his own lips were slightly sore. He loved the feeling. 

Larry's head came forward and he kissed Ahk again, his lips gentle. Ahk smiled against them, before Larry slowly let go of Ahk. Ahk felt his legs shaking and he gripped the stone rail of the bridge for support. Larry cleared his throat quietly.

"Ahk... are you alright?" Larry asked slowly.

Ahk bit his lip and reached to take Larry's hand. He placed it over his chest, where his heart was still beating hard. Larry blinked, and then a smile broke out on his face and he laughed. Larry took Ahk's other hand and placed it over his own chest, and Ahk gasped softly as he felt Larry's heart beating against his fingertips.

"Me too." Larry said softly. 

They remained like that for a minute, before Larry raised the hand that had rested on Ahk's heart to touch his face tenderly. 

"Ahk... I've been thinking about you. It's all I can do anymore. I-I wanted to take you out, because I like you. I like you very much. You're kind, and smart. Gorgeous." Larry said with a shaking voice, his blue eyes gazing into Ahk's. 

"Larry..." Ahk breathed, his eyes widening. 

"I was afraid to say this... I still kinda am. I want to be with you Ahk. I know it might not be easy, and our situation is definitely not normal. But my life is better... I am a better man since that night I stopped worrying about myself and let you out. I care about more important things now... And that includes you." Larry told him. 

Ahkmenrah had not felt the tears on his face until Larry's thumbs stroked them away gently. Ahk's hand came up to hold Larry's warm hand against his cheek. He blinked away tears, smiling at Larry.

Larry was still. Ahk looked into the man's eyes and nodded slowly. He was speechless, but the man knew what it meant. 

Ahk wanted to be with Larry. 

Larry was kissing him again, and they both let out breaths of laughter, smiling between kisses as their arms wrapped around each other.

* * *

The walk back to the museum seemed to take no time at all. They went in through the back door quietly, and Larry took Ahk to McPhee's office. He waited, standing outside the door as Ahk dressed himself in his Pharaoh's clothing. Ahk came out after a few minutes and smiled sadly as he handed Larry the plastic bag of modern clothes, including Ahk's new shirt. Larry kissed his cheek, assuring him that he would keep them safe at his place for another date. The mention of another date brought a smile to Ahk's face and Larry felt his heart warm.

The museum was quiet, settled in for the morning that was approaching. As usual, Larry was with Ahk in the last few minutes before morning.

They gazed at each other happily, holding each other's hand as Ahk laid in his sarcophagus. Larry would occasionally lean down to kiss Ahk softly on the lips, and it would make them both smile. 

"Larry..." Ahk whispered, with only a minute left.

"Yeah?" Larry murmured, his lips close to Ahk's, ready to kiss him goodbye for now.

"...I feel so alive." Ahk whispered, before they kissed once more.

Minutes later, Larry ran his hand slowly over the cool smoothness of the stone lid. He raised his other hand to his lips, where he could still feel the warmth of Ahkmenrah's.

"Me too."


End file.
